Voice of America employees sue Trump administration

Last week, a significant number of Voice of America employees were placed on so-called "administrative" leave, effectively halting the broadcaster's operations.

Voice of America staff have filed a complaint in a federal court in New York, arguing that the actions of the Trump administration violate the First Amendment of the Constitution and the laws that authorized and funded Voice of America by Congress.

The lawsuit demands that the court overturn the decision to shut down the US Agency for Global Media, which funds Voice of America and other outlets, including Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia.

"In many parts of the world a crucial source of objective news is gone, and only censored state-sponsored news media is left to fill the void," the complaint states.

Closure of media outlets

It should be reminded that in March, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reduce seven federal agencies, including the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees Radio Liberty and Voice of America. As a result, the US government stopped funding the outlets, and employees were sent on forced leave.

The Director of Voice of America confirmed the mass suspension of workers, and the head of the Ukrainian desk announced the suspension of broadcasting.

It is also worth noting that before this, Ukrainian journalist Ostap Yarysh was fired from Voice of America as part of the federal employee cuts in the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is headed by Elon Musk.

Recently, Radio Free Europe reported that it has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the funding cuts.