She also found that Pack and his team showed an "extensive pattern of penalizing those USAGM and network employees whom defendants regard as insufficiently supportive of President Trump."

Howell's ruling bars Pack and others from continuing any actions that would curb VOA's editorial independence, including taking personnel actions against journalists or editors, attempting to influence content by communicating with individual journalists or editors, and investigating "purported breaches of journalistic ethics."

The ruling is in response to a lawsuit filed by five senior executives at USAGM whom Pack had fired or suspended in August.

The senior executives alleged that Pack and other top employees' sought to interfere with their work because it didn't align with the political interests of the President.

They asked for a preliminary injunction to stop the interference.

"Defendants' extensive pattern of penalizing those USAGM and network employees whom defendants regard as insufficiently supportive of President Trump has resulted in the termination, discipline, and investigation of multiple employees and journalists," the judge wrote in her ruling.