US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth has ordered VOA employees who were on paid administrative leave for a year to return to work by March 23. The judge ruled that the near-total shutdown of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America, violated federal administrative law. Lamberth criticized the Trump administration’s actions, saying they “flagrantly and nearly year-long refused” to uphold statutory requirements set by Congress. The ruling comes after a group of employees filed a lawsuit against the government, seeking to restore international broadcasting and rebuild trust with global audiences.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/17/voice-of-america-firings-illegal-judge-finds