Case: Dardarian v. Department of Defense

1:26-cv-01965 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: June 3, 2026

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

This case challenged the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) efforts to exert control over Stars and Stripes, the military’s independent news source which has had editorial independence dating back to the Civil War. On June 3, 2026, two subscribers of Stars and Stripes filed this complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against DoD, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. Represented by the Democracy Forward Foundation, the plaintiffs alleged that in January 2026, DoD and its officials took a series of actions to seize unprecedented editorial control over Stars and Stripes, including the rescission of a decades-old regulation that protected Stars and Stripes’ editorial independence (“repeal rule”) and a memorandum that detailed the increased level of control that DoD would have over the newspaper. The plaintiffs asserted five counts under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the First Amendment. The plaintiffs sought declaratory relief that the repeal rule is unlawful, vacatur of the repeal rule, permanent injunctions against both the repeal rule and the DoD memorandum, and attorney’s fees. The case was assigned to District Judge Christopher Cooper.

This case is ongoing.

Summary Authors

Trump2.0 Collection (6/14/2026)

Ian Gibson (7/14/2026)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73435016/parties/dardarian-v-department-of-defense/

Judge(s)

Cooper, Christopher Reid (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Goldstein, Elena (District of Columbia)

Scher, Allyson R. (District of Columbia)

Wolfson, Paul R.Q. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant

Al-Shareffi, Esam (District of Columbia)

Judge(s)

Cooper, Christopher Reid (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Goldstein, Elena (District of Columbia)

Scher, Allyson R. (District of Columbia)

Wolfson, Paul R.Q. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant

Al-Shareffi, Esam (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Documents in this case

1 1:26-cv-01965	Complaint	June 3, 2026	June 3, 2026 Complaint

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73435016/dardarian-v-department-of-defense/

Last updated Oct. 31, 2026, 3:45 a.m.

Docket for: DARDARIAN v. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

ECF Number	Date	Description	Link
1	June 3, 2026	COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12463303) filed by SUSAN DARDARIAN, WILLIAM CHURCH. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Summons USAO Summons, # 3 Summons USAG Summons, # 4 Summons Parnell Summons, # 5 Summons Hegseth Summons, # 6 Summons Feinberg Summons, # 7 Summons DOD Summons, # 8 Civil Cover Sheet )(Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/03/2026) 1 Exhibit A View on RECAP 2 Summons USAO Summons View on RECAP 3 Summons USAG Summons View on RECAP 4 Summons Parnell Summons View on RECAP 5 Summons Hegseth Summons View on RECAP 6 Summons Feinberg Summons View on RECAP 7 Summons DOD Summons View on RECAP 8 Civil Cover Sheet View on RECAP	Clearinghouse
2	June 3, 2026	SEALED DOCUMENT filed by WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN re 1 Complaint, (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.)(Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/03/2026)	RECAP
3	June 3, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Paul R.Q. Wolfson on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Wolfson, Paul) (Entered: 06/03/2026)	RECAP
4	June 3, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Elena Goldstein on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Goldstein, Elena) (Entered: 06/03/2026)	RECAP
5	June 3, 2026	SUMMONS (6) Issued Electronically as to All Defendants, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zmtm) (Entered: 06/03/2026)	RECAP
	June 3, 2026	Case Assigned/Reassigned
	June 3, 2026	Case Assigned to Judge Christopher R. Cooper. (zmtm)
6	June 15, 2026	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 06/08/2026. (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/15/2026)	RECAP
7	June 15, 2026	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. SEAN PARNELL served on 6/8/2026 (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/15/2026)	RECAP
8	June 15, 2026	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. PETE HEGSETH served on 6/8/2026 (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/15/2026)	RECAP
9	June 15, 2026	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. STEPHEN FEINBERG served on 6/8/2026 (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/15/2026)	RECAP
10	June 15, 2026	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE served on 6/8/2026 (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/15/2026)	RECAP
11	June 16, 2026	RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 6/3/2026. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 8/2/2026. (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/16/2026)	RECAP
12	June 30, 2026	Joint MOTION for Briefing Schedule by WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN. (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
13	July 1, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Esam Al-Shareffi on behalf of All Defendants (Al-Shareffi, Esam) (Entered: 07/01/2026)	RECAP
	July 1, 2026	Order on Motion for Briefing Schedule AND Set/Reset Deadlines
	July 1, 2026	MINUTE ORDER granting the parties' 12 Motion for Briefing Schedule. Defendants shall produce the administrative record by July 15, 2026. Plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment is due July 29, 2026. Defendants' combined opposition, motion to dismiss (if applicable), and cross-motion for summary judgment is due August 26, 2026. Plaintiffs' consolidated opposition and reply brief is due September 23, 2026. Any final reply is due October 14, 2026. Defendants shall file an answer to the complaint 30 days after the cross-motions for summary judgment are resolved, if necessary. A hearing on the cross-motions may be scheduled as needed and in due course. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 7/1/2026. (lccrc3)
	July 1, 2026	Order on Motion for Briefing Schedule
14	July 15, 2026	NOTICE OF FILING OF CERTIFIED LIST OF THE CONTENTS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD by DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, STEPHEN FEINBERG, PETE HEGSETH, SEAN PARNELL (Attachments: # 1 Certification of the Administrative Record, # 2 Administrative Record's Index)(Al-Shareffi, Esam) (Entered: 07/15/2026) 1 Certification of the Administrative Record View on PACER 2 Administrative Record's Index View on RECAP	RECAP
15	July 24, 2026	AMENDED COMPLAINT against All Defendants filed by WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN, BRIAN BROOKS, WALTER BARANGER.(Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 07/24/2026)	RECAP
16	July 24, 2026	NOTICE OF FILING OF AMENDED COMPLAINT by WALTER BARANGER, BRIAN BROOKS, WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 07/24/2026)	RECAP
17	July 24, 2026	SEALED DOCUMENT filed by WALTER BARANGER, BRIAN BROOKS, WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN(This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.)(Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 07/24/2026)	RECAP
18	July 29, 2026	MOTION for Summary Judgment by WALTER BARANGER, BRIAN BROOKS, WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment, # 2 Text of Proposed Order, # 3 Declaration of Susan Dardarian, # 4 Declaration of Brian S. Brooks, # 5 Declaration of Walter Baranger, # 6 Declaration of William Church)(Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 07/29/2026) 1 Memorandum in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment View on RECAP 2 Text of Proposed Order View on RECAP 3 Declaration of Susan Dardarian View on RECAP 4 Declaration of Brian S. Brooks View on RECAP 5 Declaration of Walter Baranger View on RECAP 6 Declaration of William Church View on RECAP	RECAP
19	Aug. 25, 2026	Joint MOTION for Briefing Schedule, Consent MOTION for Leave to File Supplemental Complaint by WALTER BARANGER, BRIAN BROOKS, WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN. (Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 08/25/2026)	RECAP
	Aug. 26, 2026	Order on Motion for Briefing Schedule AND Order on Motion for Leave to File AND Set/Reset Deadlines
	Aug. 26, 2026	Order on Motion for Briefing Schedule
	Aug. 26, 2026	MINUTE ORDER granting the parties' 19 Motion for Briefing Schedule and granting Plaintiffs' 19 Consent Motion for Leave to File a Supplemental Complaint. Plaintiffs' supplemental complaint shall be due September 2, 2026. Defendants' supplemented administrative record shall be due September 9, 2026. Plaintiffs' supplemental motion for summary judgment shall be due September 16, 2026. Defendants' consolidated opposition and any motion to dismiss as well as any cross-motion for summary judgment shall be due September 30, 2026. Plaintiffs' consolidated opposition and reply shall be due November 4, 2026. Any reply from Defendants shall be due November 25, 2026. The parties shall file a joint appendix by December 2, 2026. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 8/26/2026. (lccrc3)
20	Sept. 2, 2026	NOTICE OF FILING SUPPLEMENTAL COMPLAINT by WALTER BARANGER, BRIAN BROOKS, WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN (Attachments: # 1 Supplemental Complaint, # 2 Exhibit A)(Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 09/02/2026)	RECAP
21	Sept. 9, 2026	NOTICE OF FILING OF CERTIFIED LIST OF THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD by DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, STEPHEN FEINBERG, PETE HEGSETH, SEAN PARNELL (Attachments: # 1 Certification of the First Supplement to the Administrative Record, # 2 Index of the First Supplement to the Administrative Record)(Al-Shareffi, Esam) (Entered: 09/09/2026)	RECAP
22	Sept. 16, 2026	Supplemental MOTION for Summary Judgment by WALTER BARANGER, BRIAN BROOKS, WILLIAM CHURCH, SUSAN DARDARIAN. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Text of Proposed Order, # 3 Declaration Declaration of Susan Dardarian, # 4 Declaration Declaration of Brian S. Brooks, # 5 Declaration Declaration of Walter Baranger, # 6 Declaration Declaration of William Church)(Scher, Allyson) (Entered: 09/16/2026) 1 Memorandum in Support View on RECAP 2 Text of Proposed Order View on RECAP 3 Declaration Declaration of Susan Dardarian View on RECAP 4 Declaration Declaration of Brian S. Brooks View on RECAP 5 Declaration Declaration of Walter Baranger View on RECAP 6 Declaration Declaration of William Church View on RECAP	RECAP
23	Sept. 30, 2026	Memorandum in opposition to re 22 Supplemental MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, STEPHEN FEINBERG, PETE HEGSETH, SEAN PARNELL. (Al-Shareffi, Esam) (Entered: 09/30/2026)	RECAP
24	Sept. 30, 2026	Cross MOTION for Summary Judgment by DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, STEPHEN FEINBERG, PETE HEGSETH, SEAN PARNELL. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Text of Proposed Order)(Al-Shareffi, Esam) (Entered: 09/30/2026)	RECAP

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Case Details

State / Territory:

District of Columbia

Case Type(s):

Speech and Religious Freedom

Special Collection(s):

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government

Key Dates

Filing Date: June 3, 2026

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Two journalists who are longtime subscribers of Stars and Stripes news.

Attorney Organizations:

Democracy Forward

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Federal

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

U.S. Department of Defense

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.

Constitutional Clause(s):

Freedom of speech/association

Other Dockets:

District of District of Columbia 1:26-cv-01965

Available Documents:

Complaint (any)

Trial Court Docket

Outcome

Prevailing Party: None Yet / None

Relief Sought:

Relief Granted:

Source of Relief:

None yet

Issues

Discrimination Area:

Content/viewpoint discrimination

Recommended Citation

Case Summary of Dardarian v. Department of Defense, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48211/ (last updated 7/14/2026).