A lawsuit was filed on Friday alleging that the Trump Administration illegally shut down the Voice of America. The suit requests a federal court to reinstate the news organization, which has provided news about the U.S. to countries worldwide for decades, many of which lack a free press.
The lawsuit, filed in New York’s U.S. District Court, was initiated by Voice of America journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and several unions against the U.S. Agency for Global Media and Kari Lake, President Trump’s representative and the former Arizona candidate.
According to the lawsuit, “A vital source of unbiased news has disappeared in many regions, leaving only government-controlled, censored media.”
Lake has referred to the broadcasting agency as a “giant rot” that needs to be dismantled and rebuilt.
The Voice of America was established during World War II to deliver objective news, often to countries with authoritarian regimes. Funded by Congress, its charter ensures its content adheres to journalistic standards.
Suit accuses the Administration of taking a ‘chainsaw’ approach
The lawsuit claims the Trump Administration has effectively and unlawfully closed down the Voice of America in the past week. Republicans have argued that the news outlet is plagued by left-leaning propaganda, an assertion that VOA officials deny is factually supported.
The lawsuit states, “The second Trump Administration has taken a chainsaw to the agency as a whole in an attempt to shutter it completely.” As of Friday, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America and related networks, had not responded to requests for comment.
In a Newsmax interview earlier in the week, Lake likened Voice of America to “having a rotten fish and trying to find a portion that you can eat.”
In an X post, she described the Agency for Global Media as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer — a national security risk for the nation — and irretrievably broken. While there are bright spots within the agency with personnel who are talented and dedicated public servants, this is the exception rather than the rule.”
Clayton Weimers, the U.S. Executive Director of Reporters Without Borders, stated that his organization felt compelled to act to defend Voice of America and the broader community that supports freedom of the press.
There are other media-related actions, too
At Radio Free Asia, VOA’s sister organization, approximately 240 employees in the Washington office, or 75% of the staff, were placed on unpaid furlough on Friday, according to spokesman Rohit Mahajan. Radio Free Asia has also begun canceling contracts with freelance contributors who helped the agency gather news internationally.
Mahajan added that Radio Free Asia anticipates filing a lawsuit to maintain the flow of funds appropriated by Congress.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, requesting the U.S. District Court in Washington to compel the U.S. Agency for Global Media to issue its next payment. Currently, RFE/RL broadcasts in 23 countries across Europe and Asia, in 27 languages.
In its lawsuit, the organizations described the funding denial as unprecedented and stated that it has already led to significant operational cutbacks. They argued, “Without its congressionally appropriated funds, RFE/RL will also be forced to stop the vast majority of its journalistic work and will be at risk of ceasing to exist as an organization.”