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Radio Free Asia initiated legal action against the U.S. government on Thursday, challenging the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s decision to cut off its funding. The organization contends that USAGM lacks the authority to withhold congressionally allocated funds.
According to Bloomberg Law, the legal challenge was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asserting that Congress had earmarked the funding for the news organization without granting the agency discretionary power over the disbursement.
The legal filing argues that the defunding violates multiple constitutional provisions and federal regulations. The action comes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting several outlets for elimination, including Radio Free Asia and the Open Technology Fund, an organization dedicated to monitoring censorship.
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The legal proceedings are being handled by Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP and Democracy Forward, as confirmed by Radio Free Asia.
“The termination of funds is illegal,” stated RFA President and CEO Bay Fang. “We remain committed to providing a voice that counters the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party and other authoritarian governments across Asia.”
Fang also noted that “the CCP is happy to see the funding for RFA stopped, but I believe we can prevent such an illegal termination of funding.”
The defendants named in the lawsuit include USAGM’s interim CEO Victor Morales, Trump administration senior adviser to USAGM Kari Lake, OMB Director Russell Vought, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
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Following the March 15 funding suspension announcement, Radio Free Asia has placed the majority of its Washington-based workforce on suspension. The organization is seeking temporary injunctive relief to maintain access to the $35 million in congressional funding allocated through September 30.
Earlier this week, U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth issued a temporary order preventing the Trump administration from withdrawing federal funding from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Open Technology Fund.
In a development on Wednesday, Lake sent correspondence to RFE/RL Chief Executive Steve Capus, withdrawing her previous grant agreement termination letter. However, she maintained USAGM’s right to potentially terminate the grant in the future if deemed appropriate under applicable law.
