Judge Orders VOA to Resume Broadcasts, Rehire Over 1,000 After Kari Lake Layoffs

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Voice of America to resume broadcasts and rehire over 1,000 employees who were laid off during Kari Lake's overhaul of the public broadcaster.

“The 'Voice of America' set to be heard around the world again soon”

Le Monde

Judge Royce Lamberth's decision, issued on March 17, 2026, mandates the reinstatement of 1,042 employees who had been on paid administrative leave for a year.

Le Monde

The ruling came just ten days after Lamberth determined that Lake's appointment as head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) was illegal, thus invalidating the dismissals.

The judge set a deadline of March 23 for the reinstatement and also ordered USAGM to present a plan for resuming broadcasts abroad.

Three VOA employees who had filed suit against Lake welcomed the ruling, expressing hope to repair damage and regain trust with their global audience.

Despite this victory, the Trump administration has indicated its intention to appeal the decision.

The Voice of America has a storied history dating back to World War II, when it was established specifically to counter Nazi propaganda in occupied regions.

The broadcaster provided balanced coverage of both Allied defeats and victories to build credibility with audiences.

Radio France Internationale

During the Cold War, VOA expanded as a key tool of American soft power, delivering news to countries where free media was suppressed or financially unviable.

Until Kari Lake's controversial overhaul, VOA reached an impressive 361 million people weekly across 49 different language services in more than 100 countries, according to court filings.

This global reach represented a significant portion of U.S. international broadcasting efforts, serving not only as news source but also as a model for journalism in pluralistic democracies by incorporating unwelcome news and dissenting voices.

Kari Lake, a former television anchor and failed Arizona statewide candidate who arrived at the White House as a full-throated Trump supporter, implemented sweeping changes at USAGM after her appointment.

“Democracy Dies in Darkness By Scott Nover Voice of America employees have spent a full year on paid administrative leave while President Donald Trump’s administration has tried to shrink the international broadcaster to its “statutory minimum”

Washingtonpost

Lake drastically cut VOA's funding and staffing, canceling contracts with major news services Reuters and Associated Press while striking a deal with the far-right One America News Network to carry its reports for free.

She also produced an hour-long retrospective praising Trump's first year in office.

The Trump administration's actions were justified through an executive order signed in March 2025 that accused VOA of promoting left-leaning and anti-American bias, calling for the agency to be reduced to 'the minimum presence and function required by law.'

Lake requested only $153 million in funding—enough to wind down the network—despite bipartisan lawmakers appropriating $643 million specifically for maintaining substantial broadcast operations.

Judge Royce Lamberth, a Reagan appointee, ruled that Lake's actions violated legal requirements by failing to provide adequate reasoning for the massive layoffs.

The judge determined that Lake's appointment itself was illegal, which invalidated the subsequent dismissals.

Le Monde

Lamberth criticized Lake's three-page agency memo as containing 'no findings, analysis, or consideration of any relevant factors' apart from a conclusory assertion that VOA's functions were duplicative with private broadcasters.

The judge noted that the effect of the agency's actions was to keep employees on administrative leave despite Congress's clear intent to maintain substantial operations through repeated appropriations.

However, Lamberth did grant Lake a partial victory by declining to restore hundreds of contractors whose positions were severed, concluding their fate must be considered by administrative courts that handle labor disputes within the U.S. government.

The legal battle over Voice of America's future continues as the Trump administration has vowed to appeal Judge Lamberth's rulings.

“The 'Voice of America' set to be heard around the world again soon”

Le Monde

Lake has previously accused the judge of being an 'activist legislating from the bench' and has signaled her intent to challenge the decisions in higher courts.

Radio France Internationale

The case represents a significant confrontation between the executive branch and judicial oversight of federal agencies, particularly regarding the scope of presidential authority over government-funded media organizations.

The bipartisan nature of congressional funding for VOA—demonstrated by the $643 million appropriation—further complicates the administration's position, as it suggests broad support for maintaining the broadcaster's international mission despite Trump's executive order seeking to curtail it.

The outcome of this appeal process will likely have lasting implications for the future of U.S. international broadcasting and the balance of power between the executive and judicial branches in managing federal agencies.