Court Rejects Administration’s Dismissal Authority
On November 10, 2026, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the Trump administration lacks the legal authority to remove Michael Abramowitz from his position as Director of Voice of America (VOA) without the express approval of an independent oversight board. The decision, as reported by The Desk, upholds a previous August 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, effectively blocking the administration’s attempt to bypass statutory protections designed to ensure the broadcaster’s editorial independence.
The appellate panel, which included Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Florence Pan alongside Judge Nina Pillard, rejected the Justice Department’s argument that the law governing the removal of the VOA director was unconstitutional. Writing for the court, Judge Pillard noted that the president retains indirect control over the director’s tenure because he holds the authority to remove members of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board at will. Consequently, the court found the existing statutory requirements for dismissal—which mandate a majority vote from the board—to be both valid and necessary to prevent political interference in VOA’s journalism. The court specifically characterized the law as a durable barrier against breaches of the firewall protecting the broadcaster’s integrity, rather than a standard federal employment regulation.
Legal Challenges Amidst Broadcaster Dismantling
The ruling represents a significant legal barrier to the administration’s broader efforts to restructure and downsize the agency. Since March 2025, VOA has undergone a drastic reduction in its operations following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. According to a legal declaration submitted by Abramowitz and cited by Bloomberg Law, the broadcaster has scaled back its reach from 49 languages and approximately 100 countries to just eight languages and fewer than a dozen countries.
Attorneys representing Abramowitz and various labor organizations filed a memorandum on November 9, 2026, alleging that the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), under the leadership of Kari Lake, has failed to comply with previous court orders regarding the shutdown. While the administration claims it has abandoned the specific internal memorandum used to justify the initial cuts, plaintiffs argue that the operational effects remain unaddressed. Specifically, VOA broadcasts to Latin America and Africa—regions that previously accounted for nearly 200 million weekly listeners—have been effectively suspended, alongside services to countries like Indonesia, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Plaintiffs argue that the government has failed to prove that the effects of the initial shutdown memorandum have been reversed or that the agency is meeting its statutory obligations.
Next Steps and Institutional Stakes
Abramowitz, who has remained on administrative leave during the pendency of the litigation, issued a statement following the ruling calling for his immediate reinstatement. He noted that there is no longer any reason for the government to prevent him from performing the duties for which he was installed on a bipartisan basis more than two years ago. The administration’s legal team continues to face multiple lawsuits regarding the restructuring of USAGM and the questioning of Kari Lake’s authority to lead the agency during its dissolution. As the legal battle continues, the court’s decision reinforces the role of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board as a mandatory check on executive power, ensuring that leadership changes are not executed unilaterally by political appointees. The case remains a focal point in the broader debate over the limits of presidential removal power, standing in contrast to other recent Supreme Court rulings that have expanded executive authority in different federal sectors.