Administration Paid $1.6 Million Weekly for Staff on Leave
The U.S. government spent millions on idle Voice of America staff following mass agency reorganization efforts.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Media
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As of July 2026, the administration maintained a $1.6 million weekly payroll for 420 Voice of America employees placed on administrative leave. This expenditure followed the U.S. Agency for Global Media's decision in March 2025 to slash its workforce and halt operations.
Why it matters
The administration pursued this effort to shutter the government-funded news outlet, characterizing the agency as a burden to taxpayers. A federal judge eventually struck down the agency's mass layoff plan and ruled that Kari Lake was illegally acting as the CEO.
The agency placed 994 federal employees on leave and cut 594 of its 602 contract workers in March 2025. Despite these actions, Voice of America previously reached a weekly audience of 360 million people.
The players
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the current President of the United States who issued the executive order to reorganize the agency.
Kari Lake
Kari Lake is a former political figure who was ruled by a federal judge to have been illegally acting as the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
Michael Abramowitz
Michael Abramowitz is a media executive who has been on administrative leave from the agency since March 2025.
Sarah B. Rogers
Sarah B. Rogers is an official associated with the agency who expects to hire and bring back staff.
U.S. Agency for Global Media
The U.S. Agency for Global Media is the federal entity responsible for government-funded international news broadcasts.
The details
Political leadership and U.S. DOGE Service personnel bypassed senior career officials to reorganize the agency under an executive order from President Donald Trump requiring a minimum-function structure. While a federal judge halted the mass layoffs, hundreds of employees remained on leave through the July 2026 reporting period.
Timeline
In March 2025, the U.S. Agency for Global Media slashed its workforce and placed 994 employees on administrative leave.
By July 2026, the government reported a $1.6 million weekly cost to keep 420 staffers on leave.
An inspector general report covering these agency activities was published in October 2026.
Market Landscape
This reorganization represents a significant contraction of U.S.-funded international media operations under federal direction. It marks a sharp departure from the previous operational model, which maintained a larger workforce to reach a massive global audience of 360 million people.
The administration's focus on downsizing the agency impacts the availability of government-funded news content for millions of international viewers. Taxpayers continue to fund the payroll for hundreds of inactive staff members while legal disputes over the agency's management remain ongoing.
The takeaway
The sustained cost of keeping staff on administrative leave highlights the fiscal complexity of rapid federal agency restructuring. Future agency stability depends on resolving legal challenges regarding leadership and the potential rehiring of personnel.
Further reading
For more background on current industry shifts, visit the Media section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Detroit News.
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