Journalists and unions sue USAGM for shutting down and silencing media

Journalists and Unions Take Action Against Shutdown of U.S. Agency for Global Media

NEW YORK, N.Y.—In a bold legal move, multiple journalist groups and unions have initiated a lawsuit against the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), its Acting Director Victor Morales, and Special Adviser Kari Lake. The case, filed in New York's Southern District, challenges the agency's recent closure and alleges violations against journalists' freedoms and the separation of powers.

The lawsuit accuses the agency of failing to meet its operational duties, halting work, interrupting services, and preventing access to its premises. This action is said to have infringed upon the journalists' constitutional rights.

The plaintiffs in this legal battle are a coalition of prominent organizations, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), The NewsGuild-CWA, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and several individual workers, led by VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara.

Represented by the Government Accountability Project, the legal battle is supported by the New York law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. Key organizations like AFGE, AFSCME, NewsGuild-CWA, and AFSA receive legal support from Democracy Forward.

A statement from the plaintiffs criticizes the impact of the agency's shutdown on the journalistic mission: “The VOA Journalists have devoted their careers to helping to build USAGM’s networks into a credible media force with global audiences in the hundreds of millions. They are dedicated public servants of the utmost integrity whom Defendants have maligned without basis as incompetent and, even worse, as ‘terrorist sympathizers.’ 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 lawsuit has received emphatic support from union leaders and advocates for press freedom. AFGE's National President, Everett Kelley, emphasized the threat to democracy and press freedom: “Voice of America was founded to spread the truth and fight propaganda from lawless authoritarian regimes—so it’s no surprise that the Trump administration is trying to dismantle it. This blatant political takeover isn’t just an attack on our members’ jobs—it’s an assault on press freedom, journalistic integrity, and democracy the world over.”

Echoing these sentiments, AFSCME President Lee Saunders argued that the silencing of the agency undermines democratic values and the country's global reputation. “Silencing this agency is nothing short of anti-American and a retaliatory attack on the independent journalists and workers who have dedicated their careers to fighting oppressive regimes and censorship." He further emphasized the role of VOA professionals as “a beacon of freedom to people everywhere.”

Jon Schleuss, President of NewsGuild-CWA, underscored the critical role journalists play in upholding free speech and a free press globally. “Journalists across the globe fight every single day to hold power to account, expose corruption and provide communities with life-saving news. We’ll do whatever it takes to support that fight.”

The American Foreign Service Association’s President, Tom Yazdgerdi, highlighted the potential damage to America’s international influence. “The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for Global Media undermines America’s soft power and global credibility. Foreign Service members have long served as trusted messengers and conduits of a fact-based, independent press—core to our nation’s democratic values.”

The plaintiffs are seeking immediate legal intervention to reinstate the USAGM's operations, aiming to restore the integrity and independence of U.S.-based international journalism. As these proceedings unfold, the global community watches closely, reflecting on the broader implications for press freedom and democratic principles worldwide.