A Federal Court Reinstates Voice of America Employees After Legal Battle
In a decisive move, a federal judge has mandated that Voice of America’s parent agency must reinstate over a thousand full-time employees who were placed on leave. This ruling comes as a reaction to actions taken by Kari Lake, a former Trump administration official, which the court deemed “arbitrary and capricious.”
Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court ruled that Lake’s assumption of almost all executive powers at the U.S. Agency for Global Media was unlawful. This decision invalidates her actions since her tenure as a senior adviser, where she eventually assumed roles such as acting CEO and later deputy CEO, as previously reported by NPR.
On Tuesday, Lamberth further criticized Lake for disregarding Congress’ intention in funding the agency, and for not considering the impacts of effectively shutting it down. “We are thrilled with Judge Lamberth’s ruling and look forward to getting back to work,” Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz stated. “Voice of America has never been more needed.”
Lake’s efforts included attempting to reassign Abramowitz to a minor short-wave radio facility and subsequently firing him upon his refusal to comply. With the court’s ruling, Abramowitz’s position, among others, is expected to be reinstated.
Despite requests, neither Lake nor an agency spokesperson provided comments. Lake, however, has expressed intentions to appeal and accused the judge of overstepping judicial boundaries.
The Voice of America, founded during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda, expanded during the Cold War to promote journalism and provide news where the free press was compromised. Before Lake’s tenure, it reached 361 million people weekly across 49 languages, which dwindled to six services under her leadership.
Lake, a former TV news anchor and political candidate from Arizona, is noted for her staunch support of President Trump. During her time at the agency, she sought to reshape Voice of America, aligning it more with Trump’s vision. This included terminating contracts with major news services like Reuters, while partnering with One America News Network.
Lake and Justice Department attorneys cited a 2025 executive order by Trump as justification for her actions, aiming to minimize federal agencies’ operations. However, Lamberth found these decisions lacked the necessary justification.
Lamberth highlighted that Lake’s agency memo failed to provide any substantial analysis or consideration for her actions, merely stating that the Voice of America’s functions were duplicative of private broadcasters.
While Lamberth’s decision reinstates full-time employees, he denied the reinstatement of contractors, directing those disputes to administrative courts. Earlier this year, Congress allocated $643 million to the agency, contrasting with Lake’s request for $153 million to phase out operations.
