NPR and a group of Colorado-based public radio stations including Colorado Public Radio filed suit Tuesday against the Trump administration in an effort to block planned federal funding cuts or restrictions to the broadcasters.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., points to remarks President Donald Trump has made claiming that public broadcasting is biased against him as evidence that he is using the threat of funding cuts to chill the First Amendment rights of the broadcasters, including National Public Radio.
“It is not always obvious when the government has acted with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the First Amendment. ‘But this wolf comes as a wolf,’ “ the suit says, referencing language from prior court decisions. “The Order targets NPR and PBS expressly because, in the President’s view, their news and other content is not ‘fair, accurate, or unbiased.’ “
Outside of NPR, the plaintiffs are all Colorado-based, including CPR, Roaring Fork Public Radio of Aspen and KSUT Public Radio of Ignacio.
“This is not about politics — it is about principle,” reads a joint statement posted this morning from CPR, Aspen Public Radio, and KSUT Public Radio. “When the government tries to limit press freedom or control the flow of information, we have not only the right, but the obligation, to speak out and defend our rights that make independent journalism possible.”
The suit takes aim at an executive order signed by Trump on May 1, directing federal agencies to withhold funding from NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service and restricting local stations or networks that receive funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from spending any of it to acquire programming from NPR or PBS.
“The order is unlawful in multiple ways,” the suit alleges. “It flatly contravenes statutes duly enacted by Congress and violates the separation of powers and the spending clause by disregarding Congress’s express commands. It also violates the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and of the press.”
The suit also claims the order represents “textbook retaliation,” against the stations and networks.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
