Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Judge rules Voice of America head curbed First Amendment rights of journalists

Judge rules Voice of America head curbed First Amendment rights of journalists

The chief executive of the agency that oversees Voice of America and his team must stop investigating and interfering with the journalists employed there, a federal judge ruled Friday.

In a 76-page ruling, US District Judge Beryl Howell found that Michael Pack, CEO of the US Agency for Global Media, and his team violated the First Amendment rights of its journalists. She also found that Pack and his team showed an "extensive pattern of penalizing those USAGM and network employees whom defendants regard as insufficiently supportive of President Trump."

Howell's ruling bars Pack and others from continuing any actions that would curb VOA's editorial independence, including taking personnel actions against journalists or editors, attempting to influence content by communicating with individual journalists or editors, and investigating "purported breaches of journalistic ethics."

The ruling is in response to a lawsuit filed by five senior executives at USAGM whom Pack had fired or suspended in August. The senior executives alleged that Pack and other top employees' sought to interfere with their work because it didn't align with the political interests of the President. They asked for a preliminary injunction to stop the interference.

"Defendants' extensive pattern of penalizing those USAGM and network employees whom defendants regard as insufficiently supportive of President Trump has resulted in the termination, discipline, and investigation of multiple employees and journalists," the judge wrote in her ruling.

Shawn Powers, USAGM's chief strategy officer and a plaintiff in the case, said that "Judge Howell's injunction against Mr. Pack affirms a central tenet of USAGM's mission: that the protection and exportation of First Amendment rights and values directly support America's national interests."

CNN has reached out to USAGM for comments from the defendants.

Acting VOA Director Elez Biberaj told CNN in a statement that editorial independence free of political interference are what make the VOA "America's voice."
"A steady 83% of VOA's audience finds our journalism trustworthy," Biberaj said. "There are few, if any, media organizations that can claim such trust. I am proud of our journalists who continue to uphold VOA's traditions of providing our audience with accurate, objective and comprehensive reporting."

In her ruling, Judge Howell described Pack and his co-defendants as "individuals with no discernible journalism or broadcasting experience." She added that Pack has tried to interfere in the agency's newsrooms "in violation of their eighty-year practice, enshrined in law, of journalistic autonomy."

The VOA is one of multiple US government-funded broadcast outlets that brings news to people across the world. It was created in 1942 to combat Nazi propaganda, according to its website.

In July, a bipartisan group of senators pledged to review USAGM's funding over concerns over Pack's mass firings. In October, the State Department's inspector general and the US Office of Special Counsel opened inquiries into alleged misconduct and retaliation after six senior USAGM officials filed a complaint alleging that Pack engaged in abuse of authority and gross mismanagement, according to Mark Zaid, the lawyer representing the whistleblowers.

Shortly after Pack took the helm of the agency in June, VOA's top officials resigned en masse. Later that month, Pack fired the heads of four organizations overseen by the agency, in what was called the "Wednesday night massacre."

Before joining the agency, Pack was best known for making documentary films with a conservative bent and is an ally of former White House strategist Steve Bannon. He was president of the conservative Claremont Institute from 2015 to 2017.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×