Covington & Burling, representing a nonprofit global news outlet, has filed a motion seeking to force the Trump administration to restore and disburse an $85 million federal grant to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as required by congressional appropriations.
“RFE/RL is suffering, and will continue to suffer, irreparable harm from this unlawful withholding of funds,” counsel for the plaintiff alleged in the motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. “By declining to disburse funds lawfully appropriated by Congress, the Executive Branch is unconstitutionally encroaching on Congress’s Appropriations Clause and Spending Clause authority.”
Founded in 1950, RFE/RL is a nonprofit news organization that historically receives the vast majority of its funding from the federal government. The organization typically uses federal grants to support its network of independent journalists covering news in Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan and other foreign countries in Europe and Asia.