Leaders of the Middle Eastern Broadcasting Networks sued the Trump administration Tuesday night, alleging that it illegally and unconstitutionally impounded the nonprofit media organization’s congressionally appropriated funding.
The United States Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, has refused to disburse appropriated funds for the Middle Eastern Broadcasting Networks, or MBN, on the basis that its grant “no longer effectuates agency priorities,” according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. But MBN’s lawyers argue that “Congress did not give USAGM discretion to unilaterally withhold MBN’s congressionally appropriated funds.”
The lawsuit notes that in March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing USAGM to eliminate “all non-statutorily required activities and funding.” MBN’s lawyers say that is no justification for withholding the organizations funding.
“Funding MBN is a statutorily required activity and function,” they argue in the lawsuit.
MBN is a private, nonprofit Arabic-language broadcaster under the USAGM umbrella. It is tasked with providing reliable news coverage and countering the anti-American bias that plagues Arab media in the Middle East and northern Africa. MBN operates the Alhurra TV networks, as well as Middle Eastern radio streams and websites.
The nonprofit was founded in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks at the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.