Voice of America employees and unions have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration, saying the shutdown of government-funded news outlets violates workers’ right to free speech guaranteed by the Constitution. About this informs Reuters.
Voice of America employees have filed a lawsuit in New York federal court, saying that the actions of the Donald Trump administration violate the First Amendment to the US Constitution and the laws that Congress authorized and funded the publication.
The lawsuit seeks to overturn the decision to liquidate the US Global Media Agency, which provides funding for Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia. The plaintiffs emphasize that the rapid closure of these media will only strengthen the position of authoritarian regimes in the world.
“A critical source of objective news has disappeared in many parts of the world, and only censored state media will fill the void”, says the statement.
It will be recalled that on March 15, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to cut the US Global Media Agency (USAGM), which includes Voice of America, Radio Liberty and other government-funded international broadcasters. Employees were sent on administrative leave, and broadcasting was temporarily suspended.
