Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is embroiled in a legal battle with the U.S. Agency for Global Media and officials Kari Lake and Victor Morales. The news platform seeks to halt the termination of its federal grant funding.
USAGM shocked RFE/RL, Voice of America, and Radio Free Asia by suddenly ending grants supporting their global news operations. Critics worldwide questioned the impact of this move on press freedom under the Trump administration.
The grant termination followed President Donald Trump’s executive order, targeting the elimination of ‘non-statutory components’ within government entities, including USAGM.
In its lawsuit, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty argues that funding its operations is a ‘statutory function’ of USAGM. The agency’s failure to disburse federally allocated funds is seen as a violation of federal law since RFE/RL relies on Congress through USAGM to promote global information flow.
RFE/RL emphasizes that disbursing funds as per appropriations laws and making them available through grants, as directed by the International Broadcasting Act, is mandatory, not optional.
The legal action also implicates Kari Lake, Trump’s special adviser to USAGM, and Victor Morales, the acting CEO of the agency.
Notably, USAGM has yet to respond to requests for comments on the lawsuit.
Stephen Capus, President, and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, condemned the grant termination, calling it a ‘gift to America’s enemies.’ The move was celebrated by China and Russia, who previously labeled RFE/RL and VOA as foreign agents in 2017.
Capus asserts that the organization will fight back, stating, ‘This is not the time to surrender to propaganda and censorship.’ He believes that the law is on their side, despite premature celebrations of their downfall by despots worldwide.
