The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) on Monday said it will make a multi-million dollar payment to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty that is intended to offset damages caused when it terminated its funding contract two weeks ago.
The affirmation of a payment came after a federal lawsuit filed by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty after officials at USAGM terminated their funding grants pursuant to an Executive Order signed by President Donald Trump earlier in the month.
The Executive order required USAGM and six other agencies to wind down their activities and lay off non-essential staffers.
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty operates as an independent, non-profit broadcaster. Under the law, it receives grant money from Congress passed through USAGM, which has operational oversight over the broadcaster as a condition of its funding.
Attorneys for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty said USAGM’s decision to pull its grant funding left it with little choice but to stop broadcasting last week. The move to withhold funding is illegal because Congress specifically intended for it to be used to support Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty’s operations, they contend.
On Monday, lawyers for USAGM said they notified Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty of their intention to disburse $7,464,559 to the organization by next week.
The money is likely to “be in their system” by March 26 because of how disbursements are approved by the U.S. Treasury, USAGM Chief Financial Offer Roman Napoli wrote in a letter reviewed by The Desk.
