CNN says the White House has fully restored Jim Acosta’s press pass.
The news organization’s communications team announced the restoration Monday afternoon, just hours after news broke that White House officials were threatening to revoke Acosta’s press pass again.
Acosta’s pass was suspended earlier this month after he got into an intense exchange with President Donald Trump during a news conference.
CNN later sued the president and other top White House aides, and accused them of violating their First Amendment rights. On Friday, a judge ordered the White House to return Acosta’s pass.
CNN says White House aides sent a letter to Acosta later that night and threatened to revoke his pass again.
The letter was sent by Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Bill Shine. Both were listed as defendants in the lawsuit CNN filed.
“We are writing to give you formal written notice that we have made a preliminary decision to suspend your hard pass due to your conduct at the President’s November 7, 2018 press conference,” the letter reads. “The President is aware of this preliminary decision and concurs.”
In the letter, the White House aides say Acosta’s behavior at the news conference violated “basic standards.”
The end of the letter states, “Of course, you will continue to maintain your hard pass while the Temporary Restraining Order issued on November 16, 2018, remains in effect.”
On Monday morning, CNN asked the U.S. District Court for another emergency hearing on the situation.
CNN now says the lawsuit they filed is no longer necessary.
“We look forward to continuing to cover the White House,” the organization said in a tweet.
