601 events on record Subscribe July 3, 2026
Standing Record home The Standing Record A non-partisan record of US democratic norms —
and the events that erode them.

Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith after columns criticizing its restrictions on the newspaper

On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense notified Jacqueline Smith — the congressionally mandated ombudsman charged with protecting the editorial independence of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes — that she was being removed, effective April 28, without stated cause. Smith had spent months criticizing Pentagon moves to control the paper's content, including an April 8 column opposing the cancellation of comics and new editorial restrictions. She said the firing came six days after House members sent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a letter defending the paper's independence.

Part of: Hegseth Pentagon Politicization Campaign

Jurisdiction
federal
Location
Washington, D.C.

Abuses documented

Actors

On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense fired Jacqueline Smith, the ombudsman of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, informing her through DA Form 3434 that her last day would be April 28 and that the action was "not grievable." No reason was given. Congress created the ombudsman position in 1991 and mandated that Stars and Stripes remain editorially independent, tasking the ombudsman with monitoring interference and reporting to Congress at least once a year.

Smith had publicly criticized Pentagon efforts to control the paper since a January 15 announcement of a content "refocus," including an April 8 column opposing the cancellation of syndicated comics and new rules barring the paper from publishing wire-service stories. Her removal came six days after Rep. Jamie Raskin and 38 other House members wrote Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressing alarm over political interference with the paper, and after members of both armed services committees raised concerns. Smith said she believed Pentagon leaders removed her to sidestep Congress by eliminating the outspoken incumbent rather than the position itself.

Updates

2026-06-25 — Smith sued the Pentagon alleging First Amendment retaliation [4, 5]

Smith filed suit in federal court in Washington seeking reinstatement, arguing the Defense Department fired her in retaliation for columns defending the paper's editorial independence. Her three-year term had not been set to expire until December 2026.

Why we recorded this

The First Amendment protects the press from government retaliation, and Congress specifically guaranteed Stars and Stripes editorial independence, creating an ombudsman to guard against Pentagon interference. Removing that ombudsman days after she publicly criticized the Pentagon's control of the paper uses personnel power to punish protected speech and to weaken a watchdog Congress built into law. This archive records when the government retaliates against those who defend a free and independent press.

Sources

  1. Ombudsman column: The Pentagon is trying to silence me — Stars and Stripes primary accessed July 3, 2026
  2. Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes ombudsman — UPI investigative accessed July 3, 2026
  3. Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes's independence watchdog — The Hill investigative accessed July 3, 2026
  4. Fired Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith sues the Pentagon — The Washington Post investigative accessed July 3, 2026
  5. Former Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith sues Pentagon, alleges retaliation for defending press freedom — New England Newspaper & Press Association investigative accessed July 3, 2026

See also