Federal Judge Commands Voice of America to Restore 1,000 Employees Cut by Kari Lake
A federal judge has mandated the U.S. Agency for Global Media to reverse its decision that placed over 1,000 Voice of America employees on leave, marking a significant setback for the Trump administration's attempts to diminish the agency.
U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth recently criticized the appointment of Kari Lake, a Trump ally who oversaw these job cuts, stating it violated federal law.
In his ruling, Lamberth asserted that Lake “repeatedly thumbed her nose” at statutory requirements and noted that the Trump administration “made no effort to defend the merits” of its downsizing actions.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, did not provide immediate comments following the ruling.
Michael Abramowitz, the VOA Director who was also placed on leave, expressed his satisfaction with the ruling. “We are thrilled with Judge Lamberth’s ruling and look forward to getting back to work,” he stated in a text message. “Voice of America has never been more needed. I am grateful for the resilience and dedication of VOA's amazing workforce.”
Abramowitz had previously filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to restore the organization’s editorial independence, which became the basis for Lamberth's recent decision.
Under the Trump administration's cuts, Voice of America was restricted to broadcasting in only four languages, a drastic reduction from the 49 languages it previously utilized to reach 420 million people across more than 100 countries.
During the Biden administration, VOA maintained around 1,000 federal employees, according to figures from USAGM.
This month, Lamberth ruled that Lake's position as head of USAGM was in violation of federal law, jeopardizing the legitimacy of her actions while in office.
Lamberth pointed out that Lake's appointment breached the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, rendering any actions she took in that capacity invalid. He emphasized that actions taken by someone unlawfully serving in a vacant office “shall have no force or effect” and cannot be ratified.
Last week, President Donald Trump nominated Sarah Rogers, currently the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, to succeed Lake as head of USAGM. Rogers is known as a former First Amendment lawyer with clients including the National Rifle Association.
