Federal judge orders Voice of America to resume operations and reinstate more than 1,000 employees
The Facts
- U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered Voice of America’s operations to be restored after finding the shutdown effort unlawful.
- The judge ordered more than 1,000 Voice of America employees to return to work, with several reports saying the deadline was March 23.
- The court directed the U.S. Agency for Global Media to submit a plan for resuming Voice of America’s international broadcasts.
- The ruling said the administration’s actions conflicted with federal law and congressional requirements governing the agency’s mission and funding.
- Several reports said the shutdown effort followed President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting Voice of America and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
- The judge had previously ruled that Kari Lake’s role leading the agency was unlawful and that actions she took in that role were invalid.
Context
What did the judge actually order VOA and USAGM to do?
The court ordered VOA’s news operations to resume, required more than 1,000 employees to be returned to work, and told USAGM to produce a plan for restarting international broadcasts NYT,Daily Mail,tagesschau.de,Dawn.
Why did the judge say the shutdown was improper?
Reports say Lamberth found that the administration’s actions violated federal administrative law and conflicted with statutory requirements Congress set for USAGM’s mission and funding Newser,Guardian,POLITICO,Deutsche Welle.
Who is Voice of America meant to serve?
Voice of America is a U.S.-funded international broadcaster that reaches audiences in countries with limited press freedom, including places such as Iran, China and Russia NYT,tagesschau.de,POLITICO.
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