On Wednesday, a federal judge stated that the Trump administration had not complied with his directives to reinstate Voice of America’s operations or to provide a clear explanation regarding its management of the government-operated news service intended for international audiences.
According to an Associated Press report, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth of the District of Columbia has directed the administration to provide an explanation by August 13 regarding its plans for restoring Voice of America operations. The organization, which originated during World War II, has been mostly inactive since March.
Lamberth said the administration must explain how it is using the $260 million Congress allocated for VOA this year.
Kari Lake, Trump’s appointee to lead government news agencies, stated in June that 85% of staff at VOA and the U.S. Agency for Global Media lost their jobs, describing it as a necessary move to streamline what she called an unaccountable bureaucracy.
Lamberth explained that a formal procedure exists for rescinding previously appropriated funds—requiring a congressional vote, as was recently exemplified with NPR and PBS funding. However, he noted that this process has not been initiated in the current situation.
He criticized the administration for giving incomplete responses and not providing requested information in previous court orders.
Lamberth stated that, without further clarification, the court may infer that the defendants are attempting to delay actions until the fiscal year ends, rather than allocating the appropriated funds as intended by Congress. He referred to this as “waste” in legal terms.
