White House vows to suspend Acosta's press pass again once judge's order expires: CNN

White House officials have reportedly made it clear to CNN’s Jim Acosta that the court-mandated temporary restoration of his press pass will be just that: temporary.

CNN reported on Sunday night that the White House had sent a letter to Acosta stating his press pass would be suspended again once the restraining order that required them to reinstate his credentials expires at the end of the month.

U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued the 14-day restraining order on Friday in response to a legal challenge filed by CNN against the Trump administration, which had revoked the reporter’s press pass following a fractious press conference. CNN’s suit accuses the administration of violating its and Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights.

Kelly, who was appointed by President Donald Trump last year, agreed with CNN that Acosta’s right to due process had likely been violated in the abrupt and opaque way he was stripped of his credentials. The judge ordered the temporary reinstatement of Acosta’s press pass while the lawsuit proceeds.

CNN’s Brian Stelter, who shared news of the White House’s latest correspondence with Acosta in his “Reliable Sources” newsletter, suggested the Trump administration may now be attempting to establish a “paper trail” that could pass for due process.

“From the looks of the letter, the [White House] is trying to establish a paper trail that will empower the administration to boot Acosta again at the end of the month,” Stelter wrote.

Reacting to the White House letter, CNN lambasted the Trump administration for continuing “to violate the First and 5th Amendments.”

“These actions threaten all journalists and news organizations,” the outlet said in a Sunday statement.

“Jim Acosta and CNN will continue to report the news about the White House and the President,” it added.

• This article originally appeared on HuffPost.