In a letter dated March 26, Kari Lake, senior adviser to the acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), informed Radio Free Europe (RFE) that its grant had been reinstated.
The agency’s March 15 termination letter was “hereby rescinded,” Lake wrote. “Grant agreement FAIN: 1060-25-GO-00001 is therefore back in effect.”
However, the decision was made “without prejudice,” meaning USAGM and the Trump administration reserve the right to cancel the grant in the future.
“We are eager to speak directly with USAGM leadership about the extraordinary and cost-effective work that RFE/RL performs for the American people,” he said.
“This is not the time for RFE/RL to go silent. Millions of people rely on us for factual information in places where censorship is widespread. We must not cede ground to our adversaries at a time when threats to America are on the rise.”
The judge ordered the administration not to proceed with closing out the grant and said the decision to end it lacked a “satisfactory explanation.”
In a March 27 court filing, government lawyers submitted the withdrawal letter and argued that Radio Free Europe had now received the primary relief it requested—continued funding—and that the lawsuit was, therefore, moot.
“Plaintiff’s grant is therefore back into effect,” the filing states. “At a minimum ... there is certainly no ongoing ‘certain and great’ irreparable harm that could justify injunctive relief.”
The filing added that the parties are conferring on the next steps and that the court should deny the request for a preliminary injunction as moot.
Radio Free Europe had filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia earlier this month after its funding was abruptly cut following a March 15 termination letter.
The outlet, which is funded through congressional appropriations distributed by USAGM, argued that the decision violated federal law and would cause irreparable harm to its operations.
Lamberth agreed, ruling on March 25 that the termination was likely unlawful. He found that the government’s stated rationale—that the grant “no longer effectuates agency priorities”—was a conclusory claim unsupported by evidence or explanation.
Following that ruling, government attorneys disclosed that $7.4 million in owed grant funding, covering operations from March 1 through March 14, had already been approved for disbursement.
Though the legal threat has temporarily eased, Lake’s letter makes clear that the agency retains the authority to act again. The addition of the terminology “without prejudice” preserves the administration’s discretion to revisit the termination.
RFE did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment on Lake’s withdrawal of the termination letter prior to publication time.
The Trump administration has been reviewing funding for U.S.-backed international broadcasters under a broader executive order to eliminate what it deems nonstatutory components of USAGM. The order is part of a larger effort to reshape federal funding priorities and reduce regulatory obligations.
Lake has described parts of the agency as “not salvageable,” and USAGM has also placed hundreds of employees from other affiliated outlets, including Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, on unpaid leave in recent weeks.
