Judge stops Trump’s closure of the Voice of America

A federal judge has instructed the Trump government to restore all jobs and financing for the Voice of America and other American news agencies, and decided that the efforts to destroy the reduction of the law and constitution.

According to President Donald Trump, over 1,300 VOA employees, including around 1,000 journalists, were on leave. The white house has accused the broadcaster of being “anti-trump” and “radical”.

The VOA, which is still primarily a radio service, was set up in World War II to counteract Nazispropaganda and has become an important global media station.

In the decision it was found that “VOA due to the cuts does not report the news for the first time in their 80-year existence”.

Judge Royce Lamberth said that the government “acted without regard to the damage of the employees, contractors, journalists and media consumers around the world.”

He ordered the administration to take measures to restore employees and contractors to the jobs they had in front of the executive order, and to do the same for Radio -Free Asia Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting networks.

The judge found that the administration probably also violated the International Broadcasting Act and the authority of the congress of adequate funds.

“My colleagues and I are grateful for this judgment. But we know that this is only a small step forward, since the government will probably make an appeal,” said Patsy Widakuswara, the head of the White House of the White House and a senior plaintiff in the complaint.

“We are obliged to continue to fight what we believe in the government’s illegal silence until we can return to our congress mandate: to tell America’s stories with factual, balanced and comprehensive reports,” she said.

Trump criticized the VOA as part of his broader attacks against the media and often accused mainstream outlets of bias.

After taking office in January, he appointed a political ally, Lake Kari to lead the VoA. Lake previously supported Trump’s false claims that the election in 2020 was stolen by him.

In March, Trump ordered the US agency for Global Media (USAGM), which supervises the VOA and FONDS outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, “to the maximum extent in accordance with the applicable law”.

A separate judge in New York temporarily blocked the executive regulation after journalists, interest groups and unions sued and argued that the step was illegal.

Judge Lamberth, who is based in Washington, DC, decided that the Trump administration lacked the authorization to do the VOA from the shutter, which is financed by the congress and has a legal mandate to transmit credible messages worldwide.

“It is difficult to find out a simpler display of arbitrary and moody actions than the actions of the accused here,” he wrote.

Usagm and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comments.