Judge Reinstates 1,000 Voice of America Staffers

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration's near-total shutdown of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM)—parent agency of Voice of America (VOA)—was unlawful, voiding key actions taken under Kari Lake's leadership and ordering the return of more than 1,000 employees to work.

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth issued the decision Tuesday, declaring that the agency's drastic reduction to a "statutory minimum" violated federal administrative law. 

He directed full-time staff to resume duties by March 23 and required the resumption of international broadcasting, which has been largely halted over the past year except for limited programming in languages such as Farsi.

The ruling stems from intertwined lawsuits: one brought by VOA Director Michael Abramowitz and another by employees including Patsy Widakuswara, Jessica Jerreat, and Kate Neeper. Lamberth, a Reagan appointee, sharply criticized the government's "flagrant and nearly year-long refusal" to comply with congressional mandates. He described the conduct of Lake, the Trump official who oversaw the agency's dismantling, and the administration as a "Hallmark production in bad faith" in a footnote, citing persistent withholding of information.

The decision vacates a March memorandum from last year that retained only 68 positions and eliminated the rest, effectively nullifying the workforce reductions and operational wind-down.

Plaintiffs hailed the ruling as "monumental." 

The Washington Post reports Widakuswara, Jerreat, and Neeper stated they are "eager to begin repairing the damage Kari Lake has inflicted on our agency and our colleagues, to return to our congressional mandate, and to rebuild the trust of the global audience we have been unable to serve for the past year."

Abramowitz expressed being "thrilled," adding: "Voice of America has never been more needed. I am grateful for the resilience and dedication of VOA’s amazing workforce."