Statement by plaintiffs in Widakuswara v. Lake

Plaintiffs eager to rebuild VOA following judge’s return-to-work order

By Patsy Widakuswara, Jessica Jerreat and Kate Neeper

March 17, 2026

This is a monumental decision, and we are deeply grateful. We are eager to begin repairing the damage Kari Lake has inflicted on our agency and our colleagues, to return to our congressional mandate, and to rebuild the trust of the global audience we have been unable to serve for the past year.

We know the road to restoring VOA’s operations and reputation will be long and difficult. We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda.