NEWS ALERT: Judge orders Voice of America to rehire employees, resume news operations

March 18, 2026

From The Hill: A judicial appointee of former President Ronald Reagan on Tuesday ordered Voice of America (VOA) to rehire its employees and resume international broadcasting.

The ruling from District Judge Royce C. Lamberth comes more than a year after President Trump significantly downsized the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and directed Voice of America to dismiss all but 68 employees.

Lamberth said the Trump administration was in a “flagrant and nearly year-long” refusal to uphold congressional mandates by dwindling its staff and resources. Two weeks ago, he ruled that Kari Lake was unlawfully serving as the head of USAGM.

USAGM is overseen by six bipartisan House and Senate committees.

More from NBC News:

The same judge recently said the appointment of Trump ally Kari Lake, who oversaw the job cuts as head of USAGM, violated federal law.

Lamberth said that Lake’s appointment violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the Constitution’s Appointments Clause and that therefore any actions she took in the role should be struck down. The Vacancies Act says actions taken by someone not lawfully serving in a vacant office “shall have no force or effect” and cannot be ratified, Lamberth said in his earlier ruling.

President Donald Trump last week nominated Sarah Rogers, the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, to replace Lake as head of USAGM. Rogers is a former First Amendment lawyer whose clients have included the National Rifle Association.

🚨🚨Judge Lamberth orders USAGM, by March 23, to bring back all 1,042 VOA employees, who have been on paid admin leave for a year and resume full broadcasting. The court also rules all the actions Kari Lake took to reduce US international broadcasting to… https://t.co/LV0M76wBEO

— Steve Herman (@newsguyusa) March 17, 2026

President Trump nominated Sarah B. Rogers, a State Department official, as chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, amid a protracted legal battle between employees and the agency’s top official, Kari Lake. https://t.co/VMRaVy3Q9B

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 13, 2026

Rogers released the following statement on Thursday, after Trump nominated her to replace Lake:

I am deeply honored by, and grateful for, President Donald J. Trump’s nomination to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media – a role I will hold concurrently with this one if confirmed. I am excited to get started, and look forward to engaging with the Hill.

Truth-telling and censorship circumvention, including in closed societies, are critical causes for me. They are critical functions for State. They are critical reasons why America continues to fund the media entities housed within USAGM, even in an age of flourishing private-sector media.

Deputy CEO @KariLake and Acting CEO @DepSecStateMR will continue to lead USAGM pending my confirmation. I applaud their energy and dedication, and I look forward to meeting the rest of the USAGM team.

I will work hard to gain the confidence of the Senate in this dual role. Fortunately, I’ve learned from the best in this regard – my current boss, @SecRubio.

Sarah Rogers, who was confirmed by the Senate in October as under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, was nominated today by President Trump to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media which oversees Voice of America, following a recent federal judge ruling… https://t.co/WxVv11gIlm pic.twitter.com/HHhWaEOTOF

— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) March 13, 2026

ABOUT THIS JUDGE: Royce Lambert, 82, is a senior judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was nominated by President Ronald Reagan in March 1987, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November of that year.