The Trump administration has moved to terminate almost 500 employees of the federally funded news organization Voice of America (VOA).
This step is the latest in President Donald Trump's drive to strip back the outlet, which the White House has accused of being 'radical.'
Acting CEO of VOA's parent agency, Kari Lake, stated that this decision would 'help reduce the federal bureaucracy, improve agency service, and save the American people more of their hard-earned money.'
A union representing employees has called the step illegal in a statement to the New York Times.
VOA was established during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda and has since evolved into a significant global broadcaster.
The outlet is overseen by the Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which disclosed that a total of 532 positions would be eliminated. Most affected employees come from VOA, which will be left with merely 108 staff members, as per a court filing.
In June, Lake had announced that 639 employees would be terminated; however, those notices were later rescinded due to paperwork errors. Some employees also filed lawsuits to block these terminations.
This announcement, made late on a Friday night, followed a judge's ruling that the Trump administration had not adhered to appropriate procedures in its bid to fire VOA's director, Michael Abramowitz. The judgment also mandated that Lake undergo a deposition, subjecting her to questioning by legal representatives.
The lawsuit was filed by a group of agency employees aiming to thwart attempts to shut down VOA.
'We find Lake's continued attacks on our agency abhorrent,' they expressed in a statement to CBS News.
They indicated anticipation for her deposition to ensure that her plan to dismantle VOA underwent the thorough review process mandated by Congress, asserting that they have yet to see any evidence of such compliance and will persist in defending their legal rights.
Most VOA journalists have been on administrative leave since March. However, certain Farsi-speaking staff were recalled amidst escalating tensions between Israel and Iran this summer.
The notices will not impact journalists in the Office of Cuba Broadcasting division, which delivers news programming in Spanish from Miami.
Critics contend that Trump’s initiatives to reduce VOA amount to an assault on press freedom, jeopardizing the U.S.'s capacity to exert soft power abroad. The administration has characterized the outlet as 'anti-Trump' and 'radical.'
VOA broadcasts television, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
