CNN's lawsuit against Trump's White House is more than about Jim Acosta's press credentials

The Hollywood Reporter

As The Hollywood Reporter's Eriq Gardner points out, "this new case isn't just about credentials, nor is it even merely about the First Amendment. CNN's lawsuit also alleges a violation of the Fifth Amendment and it's this cause of action that could provide Acosta's best chance of prevailing. Meanwhile, while hardly asking to be put in this position, CNN and Acosta have seemingly stumbled into a back door for exposing in greater detail how Trump's animus toward critics has impacted policy decisions." He adds that "should the lawsuit proceed to discovery, CNN could find some rare opportunity. Earlier this year, a judge denied a bid by CNN's parent company to probe Trump's influence on the Justice Department's decision to challenge the merger between AT&T and Time Warner. The White House is also largely exempted from the Freedom of Information Act. Now, CNN can articulate a concrete injury and the need to explore Trump's taste for vengeance. In denying Acosta a press pass, the White House may have thought it was saving itself from intrusive questioning by a disrespectful reporter, but one way or another, Acosta's interrogation is hardly over."

ALSO:

• White House blasts CNN's lawsuit: “CNN, who has nearly 50 additional hard pass holders, and Mr. Acosta is no more or less special than any other media outlet or reporter with respect to the First Amendment,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
• CNN reportedly tried to make peace with Trump's White House before resorting to a lawsuit
• Trump appointed the judge who will hear the CNN vs. Trump case
• CNN is being represented by former George W. Bush solicitor general Ted Olson, whom Trump recently praised