Overview

• U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth suspended a planned reduction in force at the U.S. Agency for Global Media that would have eliminated 532 full-time positions, most of the agency’s remaining staff.
• The order preserves the status quo while the court weighs whether the agency has complied with an April injunction requiring restoration of Voice of America programming to its statutory mandate.
• Lamberth criticized defendants, including acting USAGM CEO Kari Lake, for obfuscating the court’s requests and said their conduct could justify civil contempt if sought by plaintiffs.
• Earlier actions included a March executive order that preceded the abrupt shutdown of VOA broadcasts and prior rulings blocking Lake from removing VOA Director Michael Abramowitz.
• USAGM oversees VOA and other congressionally funded outlets, with lawmakers allocating about $875 million for fiscal 2025 and directing $260 million to VOA, as litigation over staffing and compliance continues.