Trump administration restores funding to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty after lawsuit
The Trump administration has restored funding to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Open Technology Foundation after the organizations filed lawsuits seeking to have their funding cut.
The Hill reports that the funding was cut as part of a sweeping administration-led overhaul that includes cuts to the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which also oversees Voice of America.
The US Department of Justice said the lawsuits had effectively lost their relevance because the government had already resumed payments.
“Plaintiff has achieved its primary objective of reversing the decision to terminate the grant agreement, which it sought in its complaint. Given this, the defendants believe that there is no point in pursuing the case further,” the Department of Justice said in a statement on the Open Technology Foundation case.
The lawsuit was scheduled to be heard Thursday morning by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth. However, after the administration announced the restoration of funding, the judge postponed the hearing.
The Open Technology Fund supports initiatives aimed at ensuring internet freedom and combating censorship. It is one of the programs funded by USAGM, whose leadership includes Kari Lake, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for governor and senator from Arizona.
Attorney Patrick Dougherty, who represents the fund, said the plaintiff will withdraw its complaint as soon as the government fulfills its financial obligations.
Department of Justice lawyer Abigail Stout explained during the court hearing that the government cannot guarantee the exact date of the transfer of funds because they must go through financial procedures at the Department of the Treasury. However, she assured that payments are in the process of being restored.
The judge set the next hearing for Monday afternoon if the parties do not reach a final agreement by then.
The changes in the case came after the Department of Justice announced a similar decision regarding Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The media company, which broadcasts in 27 languages in 23 countries in Europe and Asia, filed a lawsuit after funding was cut.
On Tuesday, Judge Lamberth ruled in favor of the radio station, ordering the administration to restore funding.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on March 15, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ordering to cut funding for seven government agencies as part of the government's cost-cutting efforts.
The cuts included the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which includes Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America.
Radio Liberty Executive Director Steven Capus said Trump's decision to cut funding is "a great gift to America's enemies."
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and its officials, seeking to block the administration's attempt to cut funding, as mandated by Congress.