Voice of America reporters, unions sue over outlet closure

• Journalists and unions filed a lawsuit against the Agency for Global Media, its CEO Victor Morales, and advisor Kari Lake. The lawsuit challenges the Trump administration’s closure of the agency, which runs Voice of America, as unconstitutional.

• The suit claims the closure violated laws ensuring separation between taxpayer-funded journalism and the executive branch. The plaintiffs accuse the administration of targeting VOA for failing to align with its political agenda.
• Lake defended the shutdown, citing alleged national security violations and misuse of taxpayer funds. The lawsuit seeks to reinstate over 900 full-time employees and contractors.

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Several journalists and four unions filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on Friday, March 21, against the Agency for Global Media and their leaders over shutting down the agency. The suit names Kari Lake, the former Republican gubernatorial candidate and news anchor from Arizona who is President Donald Trump’s advisor to the agency, and also CEO Victor Morales.  

The suit claims the Trump administration’s shuttering of the agency, which runs Voice of America, is unconstitutional. 

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“It halted VOA’s iconic journalism by ordering virtually the entire staff not to report to work, turning off the service, and locking the agency’s doors,” the complaint reads. “It has done so because it perceives VOA’s journalistic output to be inconsistent with this Administration’s favored viewpoint and political agenda.”

The lawsuit contends that the closure violates laws governing the agency, meant to separate journalists who work for the taxpayer-funded outlet and the executive branch.

Closure

Lake referred to VOA as “not salvageable” when announcing the agency’s closure on March 15. 

“Waste, fraud, and abuse run rampant in this agency and American taxpayers shouldn’t have to fund it,” Lake said.

She listed findings to reinforce the agency’s closure, including “massive national security violations, including spies and terrorist sympathizers and/or supporters infiltrating the agency,” and “a product that often parrots the talking-points of America’s adversaries.”

The suit seeks to restore the more than 900 full-time employees and hundreds more contractors to their positions.