NPR sues Trump over executive order cutting funding for public broadcasting

Lay a lawsuit against President Donald Trump for his executive order to cut the Federal Federal Federation for NPR and PBS.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Washington court of the federal capital by NPR and the public radio stations in Colorado, claims that Trump’s efforts to reduce the financing of the broadcasters granted from congress is unconstitutional. It is also claimed that Trump violated the first amendment by describing NPR and PBS as “biased media” and canceling their federal financing as a result.

“It is not always clear when the government acted for the purpose of revenge for the first amendment,” the complaint says. “But this wolf comes as a wolf.” Trump has accused NPR and PBS of obtaining content that is not “fair, accurate or unbiased”, claiming the complaint, and other administrative officials about “public broadcasters” only “leading to the” “revenge purpose”.

In a publication on April 1 on the social truth, for example, Trump described NPR and PBS as extremist “monsters” that strongly hurt our country.

The complaint indicates that the Supreme Court recently ruled that “it is not a job for the government to decide what is considered the correct balance in the special expression-to” not bias “what you think is biased, instead of leaving such judgments to the speakers and their fans.” The lawsuit claims that Trump’s executive order “is explicitly aimed at punishing and controlling” news coverage and other NPR and PBS, which the administration considers biased. “

Besides the first amendment issues, the lawsuit claims that Trump violates a basic principle to separate power: Congress is to determine how federal funds are spent.

“The president does not have the authority under the constitution to take such measures,” the complaint says. “On the contrary, the power of the wallet is intended for Congress.”

Congress does not fund NPR or PBS directly, instead, allocating the company’s money to public broadcasting (CPB) that distributes money to public broadcasters. CPB – a private company approved by the Congress law – receives funding two years ago.

NPR receives about 1 percent of its CPB annual revenues. Local stations rely more on them, receiving 8 to 10 percent of their annual revenues from the company. PBS receives about 15 percent of its CPB revenues.

In a statement by NPR, CPB president Patricia Harrison said that Trump has no power on CPB. Harrison, the former co -chair of the Republican National Committee, said: “Congress authorized and funded CPB to be a private non -profit company independent of the federal government,” said Harrison, former co -chair of the Republican National Committee. Harrison added that when creating CPB, Congress “explicitly prevented” any department, agency, officer, or employee in the United States to practice any direction, supervision, or control of educational television or radio radio, or more or more [CPB] Or any of the granted or contractors. “

Trump’s executive order is one of several administrative efforts to strip the general broadcast of its federal financing. In January, the head of the Federal Communications Committee (FCC) launched Brendan Carr if NPR and PBS have violated the FBC’s instructions by broadcasting commercial ads.

“To the extent that taxpayers dollars are used to support an endeavor for profit or an entity that broadcasts commercial ads.”