Ari Hoffman, afternoon drive host on Talk Radio 570 KVI, revealed this week that he was denied a legislative press pass by the Washington State Capitol Correspondents Association (CCA), despite being an award-winning journalist and broadcaster. Hoffman is now being represented by Jackson Maynard of the Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF), who joined him on the show to discuss what Maynard called an unconstitutional and selectively enforced credentialing process.
“This is a rather odd interview for me, because normally I’m not the subject of the story,” Hoffman said during the broadcast. “I just wanted a press pass for a day because I was already going to be here broadcasting anyway — and stupidly, the Capitol Correspondents Association said I couldn’t have one.”
“Freedom of the press is one of the most important rights that we have…you’re being unconstitutionally restricted.”
After the WA Capitol Correspondents Association denied me a press pass, I lawyered up. Check out my interview with @JacksonMaynard8 of the @CADFWashington pic.twitter.com/x6GZE6wJwi
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) February 2, 2026
Hoffman noted that the denial appeared arbitrary. His producer, and even his wife, who works for a different outlet, were all approved for credentials. Hoffman alone was excluded. “That just seems like selective targeting,” he said.
“They Need to Be Fair”
Maynard said this is not the first time the legislature or the CCA has faced scrutiny over press access.
“This came up last year with other members of the media,” Maynard explained. “The legislature has the right to determine who has access to their facilities — we’re not contesting that. But they need to be fair, and they need to have guidelines that apply to everyone in an even-handed way.”
According to Maynard, that did not happen in Hoffman’s case. “What happened to you is exactly what the courts say you can’t do,” Maynard said. “You can’t restrict press access using secret guidelines or rules that aren’t published and aren’t applied consistently.”
Opinion Is Not Disqualification
At the center of the dispute is the claim by the CCA that Hoffman’s public advocacy and political commentary disqualify him from being an “independent journalist.” Hoffman pushed back forcefully on that standard.
“I’ve spoken at events for Let’s Go Washington,” Hoffman said. “But the Seattle Times endorses candidates. They have an editorial board. If taking positions disqualifies you, then it should disqualify them too — and it doesn’t.”
Maynard agreed. “Opinion is an important part of the media and the news-gathering process,” he said. “If participating in policy discussions makes you ineligible, then that standard would apply to virtually every major newsroom in the state — and it clearly isn’t being applied that way.”
He also pointed out that journalists across Washington testified last year on legislation that would provide public funding to media outlets.
“If that compromises independence,” Maynard said, “then by the CCA’s logic, none of them should have press passes. But they do.”
Questions About Transparency and Delegation
Maynard said his team attempted to find the CCA’s credentialing rules and came up empty-handed. “I couldn’t find them. My staff couldn’t find them,” he said. “We also looked for information about the organization itself, and there’s nothing clear about its legal status.”
That raises another concern: whether the legislature is improperly delegating authority over press access to a private organization made up of journalists who may be deciding which competitors get access.
“That’s anti-competitive,” Maynard said. “It’s not fair, and it’s not consistent with the law.”
Comparing Olympia to the White House
Hoffman contrasted the situation in Olympia with press access at the White House — including under administrations frequently criticized for hostility toward the media. Hoffman noted, “CNN, MSNBC, Fox News — everybody’s in the room.”
Maynard said he reviewed White House press standards and found them strikingly different. “They consistently advocate for transparency and broader access,” he said. “What we have here is the opposite: restrictive access, no published standards, and no transparency.”
What Happens Next
Maynard confirmed that CADF has submitted a public records request seeking internal communications and documents related to Hoffman’s denial.
“To some extent, I don’t care what their motivation was,” Maynard said. “What I care about is the effect, that my client is being unconstitutionally restricted.”
He added, “They need to publish guidelines. They need to apply them fairly. If they don’t, they’re violating fundamental principles of freedom of the press.”
