(NEW YORK CITY) - Journalists, Federal Workers and their Unions have sued the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), its Acting Director Victor Morales, and Special Adviser Kari Lake to challenge the unlawful shuttering of the agency and silencing of global media. 

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, asserts the Agency failed to fulfill its legally required functions and violated both the freedom of Journalists and separation of powers when it ordered Staff not to report to work, suspended contractors, turned off service, and locked the agency’s doors.

The plaintiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), The NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America (CWA), the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and seven individual Workers.

Voice Of America (VOA) White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara is the lead plaintiff.

Altogether, these actions amount to an unprecedented attack on the freedom of press and threaten the reputation and credibility of VOA Journalists - and all USAGM networks.

The filing reads: The VOA Journalists have devoted their careers to helping to build USAGM’s Networks into a credible media force with global audiences in the hundreds of millions. They are dedicated Public Servants of the utmost integrity whom Defendants have maligned without basis as incompetent and, even worse, as ‘terrorist sympathizers.’ What is happening to the VOA Journalists is not just the chilling of First Amendment speech. It is a government shutdown of journalism, a prior restraint that kills content before it can be created.

The plaintiffs seek immediate relief to reverse the shuttering of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. 

This assault on VOA is an attack on International Democracy and journalistic integrity, Labor Leaders said.

“Voice of America was founded to spread the truth and fight propaganda from lawless authoritarian regimes - so it’s no surprise that the Trump Administration is trying to dismantle it. This blatant political takeover isn’t just an attack on our Members’ jobs - it’s an assault on press freedom, journalistic integrity and Democracy the world over,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley, whose Union represents VOA and Office of Cuba Broadcasting Employees.

“These patriotic Journalists and Professionals have dedicated their careers to making sure regular people understand the truth and AFGE will not stand by while this Administration tries to silence them. That’s why we are joining this lawsuit with our partners - to defend our Members, protect their rights and uphold the truth they work tirelessly to promote across the globe,” he said.

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