By Awwal Umar Kontagora A group of Voice of America (VOA) journalists has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and s...
By Awwal Umar Kontagora
A group of Voice of America (VOA) journalists has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and special adviser Kari Lake, arguing that the recent shutdown of the U.S.-funded network is unlawful and unconstitutional. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan on Friday, challenges the administration’s decision to place more than 900 full-time VOA employees on indefinite leave and terminate 550 contractors.
The plaintiffs claim that the shutdown violates their First Amendment rights and usurps Congress’s constitutional authority over federal funding. The lead plaintiffs include Patsy Widakuswara, VOA’s former White House bureau chief, and Jessica Jerreat, its press freedom editor. Four other journalists filed anonymously as John Does. Kathryn Neeper, director of strategy and performance assessment at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), is also named as a plaintiff after being placed on leave.
The lawsuit also names Victor Morales, the acting CEO of USAGM, as a defendant. It seeks the immediate reinstatement of all affected staff and contractors, citing regulations that establish a firewall to protect VOA and other USAGM-funded networks from political interference.
Although relatively unknown within the U.S. due to legal restrictions on domestic broadcasting, VOA has played a significant role in global journalism. Widakuswara previously made headlines in 2021 when she pressed then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the U.S. Capitol riot. More recently, she questioned Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin about Trump’s alleged plans to expel Palestinians from Gaza during a White House event, prompting an irritated Trump to dismiss her with a sarcastic remark.
Lake, a former television news anchor and two-time Republican candidate for office in Arizona, now serves as Trump’s senior adviser overseeing USAGM. She defended the decision to shut down VOA, citing "waste, fraud, and abuse" within the agency.
“The American taxpayer shouldn't have to fund this,” Lake said in a statement last weekend.
As a result of the shutdown, VOA’s website and audio headlines have not been updated in over a week, and live streaming services are unavailable.
The Trump administration's decision has triggered multiple lawsuits. Earlier this week, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Open Technology Fund also sued Lake and the administration, filing cases in the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs have garnered support from journalists’ unions and press advocacy groups, including Reporters Without Borders.
VOA and other USAGM-funded networks, such as Radio/TV Martà (which broadcasts to Cuba), Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, rely entirely on federal funding. Congress has consistently appropriated funds for VOA since its founding during World War II. Last week, lawmakers allocated additional resources for these networks as part of a stopgap spending measure.
USAGM claims that its networks reach over 420 million people weekly in 63 languages across more than 100 countries. These broadcasters serve as a demonstration of American soft power, offering independent journalism in regions with restricted press freedoms.
The funding halt has already forced drastic measures. On Friday, Radio Free Asia furloughed three-quarters of its U.S.-based staff. Steve Capus, CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, warned that without restored funding, the network would soon face “pretty drastic actions.”
Two of the unnamed plaintiffs in the VOA lawsuit are foreign nationals working under J-1 visas. If their visas are not renewed by March 31 and VOA remains non-operational, they will be forced to return to their home countries.
One journalist, referred to as John Doe 3, faces potential imprisonment in his authoritarian-ruled home country, which has labeled VOA a “subversive organization.” Another plaintiff, John Doe 4, is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and risks persecution if forced to return home.
Trump initially considered Lake as the next director of VOA but ultimately opted to shut down the network entirely, following recommendations from budget-cutting adviser Elon Musk and other administration officials.
“This agency is a national security risk, a financial burden on taxpayers, and irretrievably broken,” USAGM said in a statement defending the decision.
The current legal battle echoes Trump’s first term, when his appointee, Michael Pack, attempted to overhaul USAGM. His tenure was marked by controversy, and a federal investigation later found that he had abused his powers. In 2020, Pack also sought to revoke work visas for foreign journalists employed by VOA.
With lawsuits mounting and Congress continuing to fund USAGM, the fate of VOA and its journalists remains uncertain.
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