By Matthew Holloway |
Legal documentation obtained by AZ Free News has revealed detailed allegations surrounding the pending termination of Voice of America (VOA) Director Michael Abramowitz and the assertions of U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Acting-CEO Kari Lake that efforts to block his termination are unconstitutional.
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Abramowitz received a notice of reassignment to become the Chief Management Officer of the VOA’s Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station of the International Broadcasting Bureau in Greenville, NC. It was conveyed to him in a July 8th memo that “this geographic reassignment was needed to ensure adequate front-office supervision of USAGM’s primary domestic transmission facility for VOA content during this key transitional period.”
Per the response to Abramowitz’s legal motion, USAGM leaders informed Abramowitz at that time that his “presence in Greenville was needed to support an evaluation of the potential for an expanded USAGM staff presence at that facility.”
In a notification sent to Abramowitz, Senior Advisor to USAGM John Zadrozny wrote:
“The memorandum further directed you to complete and return the acknowledgment section to the Office of Human Resources at ExecutiveResources@usagm.gov no later than July 29, 2025.
“It also stated in no uncertain terms that, should you decline to accept the reassignment, you would be subject to removal under adverse action procedures pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 7543. On July 29, 2025, you declined the reassignment.”
In a post to X on Monday, Lake explained, “The Former VOA Director was offered the opportunity to continue his employment at our transmitting station in North Carolina, a place that could benefit from his experience. Unfortunately, he declined his reassignment.”
The document further describes the justification for Abramowitz’s removal, stating, “The reassignment to Greenville was strategically aligned with agency priorities. Specifically, your presence at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station was needed to ensure executive-level oversight and leadership during a critical period. This new role would have included directing and focusing staff at the facility on clearly defined operational and strategic priorities, while continuing to maintain and improve day-to-day operations there. It also involved providing regular feedback, direction, and training to ensure the facility staff remained engaged in fulfilling key agency objectives, including efforts to streamline agency functions in accordance with statutory requirements.”
Addressing Abramowitz’s argument that “Congress expressly provided that the ‘head[] of Voice of America . . . may only be . . . removed if such action has been approved by a majority vote of the [International Broadcasting] Advisory Board,’” the USAGM leadership counters that “the Chief Executive Officer, acting on the President’s behalf, may lawfully remove the Voice of America Director, an inferior officer.”
In the filing, USAGM argues, “The power to remove an inferior officer can be vested only in ‘the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments,’” citing the U.S. Constitution as well as other legal precedents. “Here, that means the Voice of America Director—an inferior officer—must be removable at will by the President or the Agency’s Chief Executive Officer (the head of the Agency) acting on the President’s behalf.”
The agency also argues that, along constitutional grounds, due to the USAGM’s status as an executive branch agency, the U.S. District Court “lacks the power to enjoin Mr. Abramowitz’s removal as the Voice of America Director.” It notes that “under traditional principles of equity, courts of equity have no power over appointments and removals.”
In a brief statement to AZ Free News, Lake wrote, “We have numerous SES (Senior Executive Service) employees, all of whom are paid handsomely, and some of whom have been sitting home on paid administrative leave collecting a paycheck, but not working. That’s not fair to the taxpayer. We have positions where we need their skills, and we are attempting to get them into place where they can be helpful to our mission.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
