Federal Judge Orders Voice of America Staff Rehired as Trump Administration Challenges Ruling

Russ Vought serves as Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Trump administration. According to the Los Angeles Times, a federal judge ruled on March 7 that Kari Lake, President Trump's choice to oversee the U.S. Agency for Global Media, lacked authority to reduce Voice of America to a skeleton staff, ordering hundreds of employees back to work. The government appealed this decision on Thursday, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly stated that President Trump was elected to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, including at Voice of America, and called the ruling not the final say. The Los Angeles Times notes that the administration has nominated Sarah Rogers, undersecretary of State for public diplomacy, to run the U.S. Agency for Global Media, pending Senate approval. This move aims to place the agency more firmly under administration control. VOA director Michael Abramowitz emphasized bipartisan congressional support, with $200 million allocated in February's budget bill, a 25 percent cut from prior levels but a sign of backing. The Los Angeles Times reports enthusiasm among staff to return, though challenges like rebuilding infrastructure and recovering from newsroom trauma persist. Former VOA director David Ensor highlighted its past importance in places like Iran, where surveys showed a quarter to a third of households tuned in weekly. Meanwhile, a separate FOIA lawsuit over Department of Government Efficiency transparency remains active in 2026, as detailed by Best Lawyers in United States, though Vought's direct involvement in recent rulings is unclear. These developments underscore ongoing tensions between judicial orders, administration efficiency drives, and congressional funding for federal media operations. Thank you for tuning in, listeners, and please subscribe for more updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.