Judge Compels Trump’s Voice of America to Reinstate Over 1,000 Dismissed Employees
A federal judge has mandated the reinstatement of over 1,000 employees at Voice of America, a state-funded international news broadcaster that faced significant cuts under the Trump administration. This decision comes as a direct response to actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency and its controversial figure, Kari Lake.
Senior District Judge Royce Lamberth issued the ruling in Washington, D.C., stating that the administration must bring back those who were placed on administrative leave last year. The judge previously ruled that Lake, a former television news anchor and failed candidate for Arizona governor and U.S. Senate, was unlawfully serving in her capacity at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America.
“Lake satisfies the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution,” Lamberth noted in an earlier ruling. His latest order criticized Lake for her “flagrant and nearly year-long refusal” to comply with legal staffing requirements set by Congress.
In a pointed remark, Lamberth described her cooperation with the case against the administration’s cuts as a “Hallmark production in bad faith.” He emphasized that Trump’s executive order aimed at reducing federal bureaucracy had effectively brought Voice of America “to a standstill.”
Before these cuts, Voice of America operated in 49 languages and reached 362 million people globally, employing 1,147 staff members and nearly 600 contractors. The agency's operations were severely diminished following the layoffs.
Lake, who served as “senior adviser to the CEO” of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, testified that she was effectively granted authority akin to that of a CEO. However, Lamberth pointed out that without assessing operational needs, the agency quickly transitioned to minimal operations.
The mass layoffs occurred on what has been termed “bloody Sunday,” when more than 1,000 staffers were placed on indefinite leave. Reports surfaced of three employees from Elon Musk’s DOGE team attempting to access the agency’s budget and social media accounts during this tumultuous period.
Under Lake’s leadership, significant changes were made at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including the dismissal of Voice of America’s director and the near-total layoff of full-time staff. Additionally, partnerships were formed with right-wing media outlets like One America News Network, while funding for Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia was frozen.
Lamberth previously declared these actions under Lake’s direction as “void.” In response to the ruling, Lake stated, “The American people gave President Trump a mandate to cut bloated bureaucracy... An activist judge is trying to stand in the way of those efforts at USAGM.”
Voice of America was established in 1942 to provide news and programming during World War II and has since evolved to counter propaganda globally. During Trump’s first term, his administration faced accusations of attempting to manipulate independent media outlets into serving as platforms for White House messaging.
The tumultuous environment at Voice of America was exacerbated by Michael Pack, an ally of Steve Bannon, who oversaw staff purges and replaced key positions with Trump loyalists. The administration's efforts to undermine the agency coincided with broader attempts to intimidate journalists and news organizations critical of Trump.
Kari Lake, a staunch Trump supporter known for promoting false claims about the 2020 election, now joins a list of Trump appointees disqualified from office due to legal challenges. Former U.S. Attorneys Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan also resigned after judges ruled they were unlawfully serving in their roles.
