Federal Judge Orders Voice of America to Restore 1,042 Employees, Nullifies Kari Lake’s Shutdown Actions as Unlawful
Federal Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered the U.S. Agency for Global Media to return 1,042 full‑time Voice of America employees to work and nullified nearly all Trump‑era actions that sought to shutter VOA, finding the administration had flagrantly disregarded Congress’s directive to maintain VOA news operations presenting a variety of voices. The ruling reversed personnel reassignments and other moves — including contract cancellations, steep cuts to language services and a proposed content deal with One America News Network — as arbitrary and capricious and is likely to prompt further legal and internal fights over VOA’s independence.
📌 Key Facts
- Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered the U.S. Agency for Global Media to return 1,042 full-time Voice of America employees who had been put on leave to work (NPR); reporting noted the staff must be back by March 23 and that contractors are excluded (NYT).
- Lamberth’s ruling nullified nearly all actions that the Trump administration took to shutter Voice of America, not just specific personnel or contract moves (NYT).
- The judge ruled that Kari Lake’s actions were 'arbitrary and capricious,' finding she failed to consider Congress’s intent in funding the agency and the implications of effectively shutting VOA, providing a fresh legal basis to invalidate her moves (NPR).
- The decision reversed specific changes Lake imposed on VOA, including canceling Reuters and AP contracts, cutting VOA’s language services from 49 to six, striking a content deal with One America News Network, and reversing the reassignment and planned firing of VOA Director Michael Abramowitz (NPR).
- Lamberth emphasized that Congress directed VOA to maintain news operations 'in each significant region of the world' and to present 'a variety of opinions and voices,' saying the administration 'flagrantly disregarded' those rules (NYT).
- The ruling was framed as a direct rebuke to President Trump’s efforts to shutter VOA (he has called it the 'voice of radical America') and as a major blow to Kari Lake; Lake called Lamberth an 'activist' and said she plans to appeal, and neither she nor the agency immediately responded to this order (NYT, NPR).
- Observers noted the battle over VOA’s independence may now shift inside the administration, given prior attempts by Trump officials to influence editorial decisions at federally funded news outlets (NYT).
📊 Relevant Data
President Trump issued an executive order to shut down Voice of America, accusing it of being a source of radical propaganda, anti-Trump bias, and a burden to American taxpayers.
The Voice of Radical America — The White House
The President's budget request for Fiscal Year 2026 included $153 million for the U.S. Agency for Global Media to support the orderly shutdown of operations, a significant reduction from prior funding levels.
Budget and Financial Reports — U.S. Agency for Global Media
In the federal workforce, which includes agencies like the U.S. Agency for Global Media overseeing Voice of America, Black employees represent 18.2% of the workforce compared to 13.6% in the civilian labor force.
Federal workforce is generally more diverse than the U.S. population, but gaps persist — Government Executive
Voice of America's programming reached 93.6 million people in sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, representing a key portion of its global audience in regions often lacking free press.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The New York Times piece emphasizes that Judge Royce C. Lamberth 'nullified nearly all actions that the Trump administration took to shutter Voice of America,' not just specific personnel or contract moves.
- It underscores that more than 1,000 full‑time journalists and support staff must return by March 23 and that contractors are excluded from the order.
- The article frames the ruling as a direct rebuke to President Trump’s efforts to shutter VOA, noting he has labeled it the 'voice of radical America,' and as a major blow to Kari Lake as the de facto head of VOA’s oversight agency.
- Lamberth’s opinion is quoted stressing that Congress directed the administration to maintain VOA news operations 'in each significant region of the world' presenting 'a variety of opinions and voices,' and that the administration 'flagrantly disregarded' those rules.
- The story highlights that the fight over VOA’s independence may now shift inside the administration, given prior attempts by Trump officials to influence editorial decisions at federally funded news outlets.
- Judge Royce C. Lamberth’s order explicitly directs the U.S. Agency for Global Media to return 1,042 full-time VOA employees who had been put on leave back to work by Monday.
- Lamberth adds a fresh legal basis for invalidating Kari Lake’s actions, ruling that she failed to consider Congress’ intent in funding the agency and the implications of effectively shutting VOA down, rendering her moves 'arbitrary and capricious.'
- The article details Lake’s specific steps to reshape VOA’s journalism, including canceling Reuters and AP contracts, cutting VOA’s language services from 49 to six, and striking a content deal with One America News Network.
- Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz’s job reassignment to a small short-wave facility in North Carolina, and planned firing for refusing that reassignment, are described as among the actions now reversed by the ruling.
- Lake has publicly labeled Lamberth an 'activist' and says she plans to appeal, but neither she nor the agency immediately responded to NPR about this specific order.