A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to reinstate Voice of America operations, directing that more than a thousand employees placed on administrative leave be returned to work after the government-funded broadcaster was largely shut down last year.
U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth gave the U.S. Agency for Global Media one week to submit a plan to restore full operations, criticizing officials for failing to justify the massive reduction in staff. The ruling follows President Trump’s executive order targeting the agency and comes as legal challenges over the shutdown continue.
Lamberth ruled that actions taken by Kari Lake, who was selected to lead USAGM, exceeded her authority, including placing VOA employees on leave. “Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” he wrote.
