(The Center Square) – In March 2025, the Capitol Correspondents Association officially stopped its decades-long role of advising the Washington State Legislature on media credentialing. However, the CCA, a group of journalists covering state politics, continues to play a role in credentialing and holds significant influence through its established guidelines.
The decision to officially transfer its credentialing authority came after threats of legal action after podcaster Brandi Kruse and reporter Jonathan Choe were denied press credentials in early 2025 because the CCA did not consider them “bona fide journalists” under the organization’s guidelines, but rather, political advocates.
Fast forward to early 2026, when the Legislature denied permanent press credentials to several independent/conservative journalists – including Kruse, Choe and radio host Ari Hoffman – leading to the House and CCA being sued by the Citizens Action Defense Fund, claiming that violated the trio’s First Amendment rights.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David Estudillo denied a request for a temporary restraining order from the plaintiffs, ruling that the House and the CCA were within their rights to deny the credentials.
Several media outlets, including The Center Square, covered the decision.
One of those other media outlets is The Spokesman-Review newspaper, which in a story about Estudillo’s decision, wrote “A Spokesman-Review reporter is a member of the Capitol Correspondents Association, and the newspaper has financially contributed to enlist the services of attorney Kathy George, representing the association in this suit.”
The Center Square asked CADF Executive Director and lawyer Jackson Maynard about the Spokane newspaper helping to pay for a lawyer to represent the CCA in the matter.
“I mean, you have this organization that’s set up … that’s working for the government to provide guidelines, and then those guidelines are used by the House to exclude other members of the media,” he told The Center Square. “And when those guidelines are challenged in the state action, instead of jumping on the side of the media, they’re defending excluding other members of the media. That seems really odd. And then they’re covering the story. You know, it’s good they disclosed it.”
The Center Square reached out to The Spokesman-Review but did not get a response by the time of publication.
In a statement emailed to The Center Square after Estudillo’s decision, Maynard said there would be no appeal given Thursday is the last day of the 60-day session, but added that “we will continue to litigate this case until we either prevail or exercise every viable legal option. Our goal is to get our clients the access they are entitled to by the constitution as members of the press.”
