“The Court concludes that the government’s disbursement of the nearly $7.5 million in funds to RFE/RL does not mitigate RFE/RL’s showing of irreparable harm,” U.S. District Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth wrote in a memorandum opinion granting a temporary restraining order protecting Covington & Burling’s client Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Covington & Burling has secured a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from closing out Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s remaining $77 million federal grant.
“RFE/RL has demonstrated that irreparable harm will follow if its TRO request is denied,” U.S. District Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the District of Columbia wrote in his memorandum opinion filed Tuesday. “The Court concludes that the government’s disbursement of the nearly $7.5 million in funds to RFE/RL does not mitigate RFE/RL’s showing of irreparable harm.”
The U.S. Agency for Global Media voluntarily disbursed about $7.5 million to RFE/RL for work the nonprofit news outlet completed during the first two weeks of March, according to a notice filed Monday by U.S. Department of Justice attorneys representing the defendants.
