U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake (R-Ariz.) speaks on the second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. on July 16, 2024.
Mike Seeger | Reuters
A federal judge ruled Saturday that Kari Lake’s leadership of the U.S. Agency for Global Media for much of last year violated federal law and invalidated a series of far-reaching actions she took to cut staff and terminate many operations at the Voice of America division.
In a further blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink various government agencies, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth granted summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs, including VOA journalists and the union representing federal employees, who argued that Lake’s appointment as acting CEO and actions he took in that role violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and constitutional appointments. Clause.
Lamberth ruled that Lake was not eligible to serve as acting CEO because he was not employed by USAGM at the time of former CEO Amanda Bennett’s resignation in January 2025 and had not been confirmed by the Senate to any other federal post. Lake officially joined USAGM in March as a senior advisor. A Nov. 21 news release from the agency included a call to her deputy CEO.
The judge also rejected the administration’s argument that Lake could exercise CEO power through a delegation from former acting CEO Victor Morales.
Saturday’s ruling marks at least the third time Lamberth has ruled against the Trump administration in a case involving Voice of America. A judge halted plans to put many VOA employees out of work in April and September, but the April ruling was later overturned by an appeals court.
Lake has vowed to appeal Lamberth’s latest ruling.
“Judge Lamberth has a pattern of activist sentencing, and this case is no exception,” she said in a statement.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Under the Vacancies Act, actions taken by someone who is not legally employed in a vacant office have “no force or effect” and cannot be ratified, Lamberth wrote. This standard could threaten the legal status of Lake’s decisions, including layoffs that affect hundreds of employees who remain on court-ordered suspension.
“As a result, actions taken by Lake during her purported tenure as Acting CEO from July 31, 2025 to November 19, 2025 are null and void,” Lamberth wrote.
The Voice of America, which broadcast to 420 million people in more than 100 countries in 49 languages, was limited to four languages due to the administration’s efforts to dismantle the station.
