Voice of America Director Fired After Refusing Reassignment

Michael Abramowitz, Director of Voice of America (VOA), was fired after rejecting what he deemed an “illegal” reassignment to manage a broadcasting station in North Carolina, per a court filing Monday. 

A letter from John A. Zadrozny, a senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, notified Abramowitz on Friday that his termination would take effect August 31, following a 30-day notice period.

The Trump administration’s move against Abramowitz, a vocal critic of efforts to dismantle VOA, is part of ongoing attempts to tighten control over the agency, which manages U.S. government foreign broadcasting. 

Kari Lake, Trump’s pick to lead VOA, has been unable to assume the role officially due to Trump’s dismissal of the Senate-confirmed International Broadcasting Advisory Board, which oversees such appointments. Instead, Lake has acted as the de facto head of USAGM.

Michael Abramowitz

In March 2025, Abramowitz filed a lawsuit against the government following President Trump’s executive order to dismantle USAGM, a case still pending in federal court. In July, Lake directed Abramowitz to accept a role as chief management officer at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station in Greenville, North Carolina, or face termination. Abramowitz refused, arguing that federal law requires the now-dissolved advisory board’s approval for any VOA director’s removal or reassignment. USAGM responded by terminating him for “failure to accept directed geographic reassignment.”

Abramowitz’s attorney stated in the filing, “Right in the middle of litigation about Defendants’ willingness to follow the law, they are firing Director Abramowitz for refusing to accept a reassignment because he insisted that Defendants follow the law.”

Last week, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth issued a court order criticizing the government’s “monumental personnel decision” to force Abramowitz to choose between reassignment and termination. Lamberth called the action “shocking” and faulted the government for not informing the court, as it was ordered to comply with a preliminary injunction upholding VOA’s governing laws.