Judge orders Trump admin to reinstate $12M for RFE/RL funds
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the Trump administration on Tuesday to restore $12 million in funding that Congress allocated for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Judge Lamberth, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, halted a temporary ban on the operations of the U.S. Agency for Global Media from disbursing money to RFE/RL from April 2025 until a lawsuit regarding the station's maintenance is resolved. The judge ruled that the administration cannot unilaterally revoke funding approved by Congress.
The subject of funding for Radio Free Europe returns
Previously, Lamberth agreed to block the administration's ability to dissolve Voice of America (VoA). He ruled that the administration unlawfully demanded the cessation of the station's operations for the first time since its inception during World War II.
Radio's attorneys pointed out that President Donald Trump's administration terminated almost all contracts with independent journalists, failed to meet lease payments, and placed 122 employees on forced leave. RFE/RL's lawyers warn that more radio employees will be placed on forced leave, and more contracts will be canceled on May 1 if the funding is not restored.
Government attorneys argued that the judge does not have jurisdiction over the contract dispute, which belongs to the Court of Federal Claims.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty began broadcasting during the Cold War. It is currently aired in 27 languages in 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The radio was initially headquartered in Munich. Since 1995, it has been located in Prague, Czech Republic.
