Journalists from Voice of America (VOA) have taken legal action against President Donald Trump’s administration and Kari Lake following the White House’s recent decision to dismantle the agency. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, alleges that the administration has deliberately sought to dismantle VOA, which serves as a vital source of independent news in many parts of the world.
“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 employees stated in their legal filing.
BREAKING—The President has issued an Executive Order titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. It affects USAGM and its outlets VOA and OCB.
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) March 15, 2025
If you are an employee of the agency please check your email immediately for more information. https://t.co/JmKMA0rp54
Earlier this month, Trump issued an executive order directing the closure of multiple government offices, including the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the organization overseeing VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Following his election victory, Trump appointed Lake as a special advisor to the USAGM. The lawsuit accuses the administration of aggressively downsizing the agency, stating, “The second Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to the agency as a whole in an attempt to shutter it completely.”
Trump’s executive order mandated that non-statutory functions within several federal entities be eliminated, reducing their activities to the bare minimum required by law.
Lake, in response to the situation, directed affected employees to “check your email” for updates regarding their employment. In a March 15 statement, both USAGM and Lake described the agency as beyond repair.
“From top-to-bottom this agency is a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer—a national security risk for this nation—and irretrievably broken. While there are bright spots within the agency with personnel who are talented and dedicated public servants, this is the exception rather than the rule,” the agency’s press release stated.
The lawsuit further claims that the agency’s closure constitutes an attack on press freedom. “What is happening to the VOA Journalists is not just the chilling of First Amendment speech; it is a government shutdown of journalism, a prior restraint that kills content before it can be created,” the filing argues.
The White House has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Attorney David Seide, representing the VOA employees, criticized Lake’s involvement, stating, “Tragically, Kari Lake lives in the MAGA fantasy world, but she makes decisions that have real-world consequences for hundreds of journalists.”
The lead plaintiffs in the case include VOA’s White House Bureau Chief, Patsy Widakuswara, and Jessica Jerreat, who serves as the press freedom editor at the agency.
