(HorizonPost.com) – More than 440 White House reporters have lost their credentials since the press office revised its eligibility rules to obtain a hard pass, Fox News reported.
In May, the White House press office issued a notice proposing new standards for qualifications and general behavior for reporters with a hard pass, the credentials permitting them to come and go from the White House at will.
Under the new rules, hard pass holders must reside in Washington and work full-time for a news organization. Additionally, any reporters who have worked at the White House on at least one occasion or hold credentials for either the Supreme Court or Congress can also obtain a hard pass.
The White House will also require all hard pass holders to act professionally while on White House grounds. Under the revised rules, a reporter who violates the rules will first receive a written warning. Reporters who repeatedly violate the rules with either have their pass suspended or revoked.
The new rules are designed to establish a code of conduct to avoid the legal battles the Trump White House faced after stripping former White House correspondents Jim Acosta and Brian Karem of their hard passes.
Politico reported last week that the number of White House reporters with a hard pass dropped from 1,417 to only 975 when the previous passes expired last Monday. The new number reflects both renewals and new applicants, according to Politico.
The White House told Politico that the hundreds who lost their credentials did not reapply as many no longer met the new qualifications laid out in the revised rules. According to the White House, only one reporter had an application denied.
For the reporters losing their credentials, the White House has granted many a grace period allowing them to use their current passes until August 10 while they apply for a new hard pass.
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