A serious legal victory For the Trump administrationthe U.S. DC Circuit Court of Appeals granted stay on a lower court order that required more than 1,000 Voice of America (VOA) employees to be reinstated and fully reopened broadcasting services.
“This is a big victory for President Trump and his Article II authority recognized by the US Constitution, as well as for the US institutions of Global Media (USAGM) and VOA.” Lake Karia senior USAGM advisor to the Trump administration told Fox News Digital following a court decision Saturday.
This decision will allow the administration to advance efforts to restructure USAGM and its associated broadcasting stations.
“We want to achieve President Trump’s first American agenda, which was to constantly modernize and make government efficient while reducing waste, fraud and abuse,” Lake explained to Fox News Digital.
American voices restored by a judge after Trump demolished a taxpayer-funded outlet in March
The executive order has resulted in administrative leave and numerous contract terminations for approximately 1,300 American employees. (Jonathan Raa/Nur Photo via Getty Images)
“Now we are receiving a favorable ruling in the Court of Appeals, so we look forward to achieving the plans we have always had. We look forward to bringing the VOA into the 21st century.”
The Court of Appeals’ decision on Saturday emphasized the judicial respect for jurisdiction in matters relating to federal employment and contractual decisions.
The court said the district court likely has no jurisdiction to interfere with the administration’s personnel litigation and financing decisions, particularly with regard to grant agreements with non-federal agencies such as Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Network.
Voice of America (VOA) News Service Center in Washington, DC (fatih aktas/anadolu via Getty Images)
This follows Trump’s March 14th Executive Order (EO) aimed at dismantling the operations of USAGM.
“Voice of America has been stepping off from the US for years. It serves as a radical American voice and has pushed divisive propaganda for years,” a White House official told Fox News Digital at the time.
The order led to the termination of administrative leave for around 1,300 VOA employees and numerous contracts, effectively suspending the station’s activities for the first time in its 83-year history.
“Unfortunately, the frivolous lawsuit has actually stopped VOA’s ability to streamline archaic practices and redundant programs,” Lake told Fox News Digital. “Using the law hurts agents and their employees more than it helped.”
Fox News contributor, legal analyst, and constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley “The DC Circuit had just announced a major ruling in favour of the Trump administration, who stayed in the administration’s decision to terminate American contracts and positions, and shared the news of the X ruling.
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Saturday’s decision was reportedly restored to their computers as VOA employees reportedly accessed the computer on Friday, and federal judge Lois Lambers’ April 22 ruling was reportedly restored to their computers after the administration supported the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction against Trump’s EO.
You can read the court’s judgment here.
Emma Colton and Andrea Margolis of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
