A US federal judge on Tuesday directed the Trump administration to reinstate operations of Voice of America, which had been largely shut down a year ago, clearing the way for hundreds of employees on administrative leave to resume work.
US District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth instructed the U.S. Agency for Global Media to submit a plan within a week to bring VOA back on air. The broadcaster has been running with minimal staff since President Donald Trump issued an executive order to close it.
Earlier, Lamberth ruled that Kari Lake, Trump’s pick to head the agency, lacked the legal authority for her actions involving VOA. In Tuesday’s decision, he criticised the measures taken in response to Trump’s directive, which sidelined 1,042 of the organisation’s 1,147 employees, saying no sound justification had been provided.
There was no immediate response from the agency. Lake had earlier opposed the court’s March 7 ruling and indicated plans to appeal. Meanwhile, Trump has nominated Sarah Rogers, currently undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, to lead USAGM, subject to Senate approval.
Patsy Widakuswara, VOA’s White House bureau chief and one of the plaintiffs, welcomed the ruling, expressing hope of rebuilding the organisation and restoring trust among its global audience.
Founded during World War II, VOA has long provided news to countries with limited press freedom. Before the shutdown order, it broadcast in 49 languages, reaching an estimated 362 million people worldwide.
