OIG Report: Voice of America Paid Leave Costs Taxpayers 1.6 Million Weekly
Taxpayers are shouldering an estimated $1.6 million weekly financial burden to keep 420 Voice of America employees on paid administrative leave, more than a year after the Trump administration initiated moves to dismantle the broadcaster, according to an Office of the Inspector General report featured on Fortune.com.
The Cost of Suspended Operations
Voice of America operates as one of six entities under the United States Agency for Global Media, broadcasting news in 49 languages to over 361 million people worldwide. In March 2025, President Trump directed USAGM to cut operations for financial reasons, halting digital production and broadcasts for the first time since World War II. The executive order mandated the elimination of nonstatutory functions, prompting the agency to place 994 of its 1,147 federal employees on administrative leave and terminate 594 of its 602 contract workers.
Despite those reductions, ongoing legal challenges stalled the intended savings. An August 2025 reduction in force was meant to slash payroll expenses, but ongoing litigation kept hundreds of workers off the job while collecting full pay. As of July 2026, 420 VOA employees remain on administrative leave at a cost of $3.2 million biweekly, driving the annual expenditure to roughly $82.8 million.
The inspector general found that USAGM could not demonstrate it adequately assessed the impact of losing experienced technical facilities and support personnel. The oversight report noted that the agency lacked reliable records for 99% of documentation supporting the disposal of broadcasting equipment, infrastructure, and property. Without complete records, lease management and asset disposal activities carried an elevated risk of unverified losses.
Judge Lamberth Rules USAGM Closure Unlawful
The winding-down process faced severe judicial scrutiny in March 2026. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the Trump administration’s effort to close USAGM was unlawful, ordering more than 1,000 employees back to work. In his ruling, Judge Lamberth wrote that the defendants had no discernible method or approach for the shutdown, taking immediate action without considering statutory functions or the harm inflicted on media consumers and personnel.
Prior to the executive order, former news correspondent Dan Robinson wrote an opinion piece in November 2024 for The Washington Times characterizing VOA as a rogue operation displaying a leftist bias.
Government Incurs Weekly Costs for Dormant Agency
The agency’s inability to verify property disposal records leaves significant questions about federal asset management open as litigation proceeds. The inspector general concluded that the sudden stoppage of services harmed agency credibility and created digital production lapses with lasting operational consequences.
With legal proceedings active and hundreds of personnel remaining on paid administrative leave, the federal government continues to incur weekly expenditures exceeding $1.6 million for an agency whose primary broadcasts remain largely dormant.