A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from suspending funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, ruling that the government’s attempt to defund the organization likely violated federal law.
RFE/RL is a broadcasting organization created by the United States which initially aimed to reach audiences behind the Iron Curtain to counter state propaganda in Soviet Union. After the Cold War era, it continued to provide independent news and political commentary to people in countries where free press is limited or nonexistent.
US District Judge Royce Lamberth issued a temporary restraining order on 25 March that prevents the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) from dismantling the organization, according to ABC News and NBC News.
In his opinion, Lamberth found that the administration’s reasoning was “unsupported by any facts” and insufficient to force the closure of the media outlet.
“The leadership of USAGM cannot, with one sentence of reasoning offering virtually no explanation, force RFE/RL to shut down—even if the President has told them to do so,” wrote Judge Lamberth.
The case stems from an executive order signed by President Trump that directed multiple agencies, including USAGM, to reduce their functions to the minimum required by law, citing bureaucracy reduction.
According to court documents, USAGM Acting CEO Kari Lake had included just a single sentence in the notice of grant termination sent to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, stating: “The award no longer effectuates agency priorities.”
Following this directive, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty filed a lawsuit last week seeking to prevent the termination of its federal funding.
In his ruling, Judge Lamberth cited congressional policy supporting freedom of expression and international communication.
“Congress has found that ‘it is the policy of the United States to promote the right of freedom of opinion and expression’ and that ‘open communication of information and ideas among the peoples of the world contributes to international peace and stability,'” the judge noted.
Earlier, Czech Republic garnered support from twelve European countries for an initiative to preserve Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) after the US government announced its defunding.
Ukrainian journalist Vitaliy Portnikov, who has worked with RFE/RL for 35 years, criticized Trump’s actions as a betrayal of democracy, particularly in the context of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the rise of authoritarianism globally.
