Government Continues Multimillion-Dollar Payments to Laid-Off Broadcasters Amid Legal Disputes

The U.S. Agency for Global Media is spending approximately $1.6 million weekly to maintain 420 former Voice of America employees on paid administrative leave, more than a year after the Trump administration shut down the international broadcaster in March 2025. An inspector general report revealed that the agency could not account for 99% of documentation regarding the disposal of broadcasting equipment and infrastructure during the downsizing, raising concerns about asset management and transparency. The ongoing costs, driven by legal proceedings from the reduction in force, are expected to total approximately $82.8 million annually.

The Voice of America shutdown has created an unusual fiscal situation where the government continues paying hundreds of workers despite halted operations. The agency's reduction in force, implemented in August 2025, was intended to generate payroll savings. However, legal challenges to the shutdown have forced the agency to maintain these employees on administrative leave while litigation proceeds, transforming what was meant as a cost-cutting measure into an expensive holding pattern.

Beyond the payroll costs, the shutdown has exposed significant administrative gaps. The agency failed to properly document how it disposed of broadcasting equipment and facilities during the downsizing, with 99 percent of records missing or unverifiable. This documentation failure raises questions about whether assets were properly accounted for and whether any property was lost or mishandled during the transition.