Judge temporarily halts Trump from canceling Radio Free Europe, handing embattled broadcasters a lifeline
By Brian Stelter, CNN
(CNN) — One of the international broadcasters targeted for termination by President Donald Trump has been granted a reprieve by a federal judge.
US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth has granted Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s request for a temporary restraining order that will help the broadcaster stay on the air and online for the time being.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty filed suit last week to contest Trump’s shutdown order, claiming it “would violate the Constitution and federal laws.”
Judge Lamberth heard arguments on Monday. Just before the hearing, the Trump administration agreed to pay what it owes Radio Free Europe for the first half of March. But it continued to defend the termination order that took effect March 15.
“We’re confident the law is on our side as the US Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power of the purse,” Radio Free Europe CEO Stephen Capus said in a statement after the hearing. “It is unlawful to deny us the funds that Congress has already appropriated to RFE/RL for the rest of this fiscal year.”
Judge Lamberth signaled agreement in his restraining order against the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM for short) on Tuesday.
“RFE/RL has, for decades, operated as one of the organizations that Congress has statutorily designated to carry out this policy. 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,” Lamberth wrote.
The order means that the broadcaster is likely to succeed on the merits of the broader case. Lamberth said he intends to rule “expeditiously” and told the parties to file briefings before the court later this week.
Multiple other lawsuits over Trump’s action to dismantle the US Agency for Global Media are also pending.
Last week several Voice of America journalists, along with multiple unions and the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, filed a suit alleging the shutdown of VOA was unlawful and unconstitutional.
“The long-term consequences of silencing VOA will reverberate globally, eroding the influence and moral authority of the United States,” VOA’s sidelined chief national correspondent Steve Herman said at a press conference Monday.
A judge will hear arguments in the VOA case on Friday.
A representative for the agency did not respond to a request for comment.
Capus addressed the ruling by saying that “we appreciate Judge Lamberth’s thoughtful and airtight ruling to prevent USAGM from ignoring the will of Congress.”
He added, “This ruling further sends a strong message to our journalists around the world: Their mission as designed by Congress is a worthy and valuable one and should continue.”
The judge’s ruling may bode well for the other international broadcasters that are trying to stay on the air despite Trump’s order. Radio Free Asia has furloughed much of its staff and cut back on its daily news coverage while trying to conserve its remaining funds. An executive at the network told CNN that it is also preparing to sue over the grant termination.
The-CNN-Wire
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