Judge Orders VOA to Reinstate 1,042 Employees, Resume Operations

A federal judge in Washington ordered the Trump administration on Tuesday to reinstate more than 1,000 employees at the Voice of America and restore its broadcasting operations, reversing efforts to scale back the U.S. government-funded international news service.

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth directed the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, to submit a plan within one week to resume full programming. The order requires the reinstatement by March 23 of 1,042 employees who had been placed on paid administrative leave, leaving the agency with a skeleton staff of about 100. Lamberth ruled that agency leaders had unlawfully suspended operations and failed to provide a valid basis for the staff reductions.

The decision stems from lawsuits filed by Voice of America's director and three employees, who argued that the downsizing violated statutory requirements for the agency to maintain independent broadcasting to global audiences. In his opinion, Lamberth stated that the defendants offered "nothing approaching a principled basis" for their actions and emphasized that while agency leaders have discretion on implementation, they must fulfill Congress's...