A Republican-appointed judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from removing Michael Abramowitz as the director of the government-funded media organization Voice of America.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, said Abramowitz cannot be removed without a majority vote from the International Broadcasting Advisory Board. The Trump administration fired the entire board in January.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration’s attempt to remove Abramowitz is part of President Trump’s broader plan to gain more control over usually independent institutions, like the press and the Federal Reserve.
In December, Trump chose former Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake, a longtime supporter, to lead VOA. But by firing the advisory board in January, he removed the group responsible for hiring and firing directors. This meant Lake could not become VOA’s head, and Abramowitz could not be removed.
Lake later became a senior adviser to the CEO of VOA’s parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), and now serves as deputy CEO.
What To Know
On Thursday, Lamberth ruled that Abramowitz cannot be removed unless the board votes him out.
“To the extent the Board’s current lack of quorum institutes a practical barrier to removing Abramowitz, the Broadcast Act gives the President a straightforward remedy: replacing the removed members,” the judge wrote.
Abramowitz sued the Trump administration in March after Lake put most of VOA’s staff on leave and tried to shut down the broadcaster. The lawsuit asked the court to decide if the administration’s effort to dismantle VOA was legal.
In April, Lamberth issued a preliminary injunction allowing staffers to return to work. But in June, the Trump administration carried out layoffs that affected most VOA employees.
Earlier this month, USAGM officials tried to remove Abramowitz after he refused what he called an “illegal” reassignment to run the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station in Greenville, North Carolina.
John Zadrozny, a senior adviser at USAGM, sent Abramowitz a letter saying he would be terminated effective August 31.
Abramowitz’s lawyers responded, saying: “Right in the middle of litigation about Defendants’ willingness to follow the law, they are firing Director Abramowitz for refusing to accept a reassignment because he insisted that Defendants follow the law.”
Judge Lamberth also criticized USAGM for giving Abramowitz an ultimatum after he issued the preliminary injunction requiring the Trump administration to follow federal law. The judge called it a “shocking” move.
After Lamberth blocked Lake from firing Abramowitz, the VOA director said he was “gratified” with the ruling.
What People Are Saying
Abramowitz wrote on LinkedIn this month: “My efforts are not about holding onto a government job, but instead about upholding the rule of law and preserving the Voice of America, which is so important to the national security interests of the United States.”
In a Thursday statement after the ruling, he added: “It is especially urgent for Voice of America to resume robust programming, which is so important for the security and influence of the United States.”
What Happens Next
It is unclear whether the Trump administration will appeal Lamberth’s decision or if President Trump will appoint new members to the International Broadcasting Advisory Board who could vote to remove Abramowitz.
