A federal judge has delivered a severe setback to Kari Lake, finding that President Donald Trump’s ally illegally ran the U.S. Agency for Global Media for several months in 2025 and voiding all measures she took during that period—including sweeping layoffs that gutted Voice of America.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth issued the decision Saturday, March 7, 2026, concluding that Lake was not eligible to serve as USAGM’s acting CEO when she was formally named to the role on July 31 without Senate confirmation. She stepped down from that position on November 19.
The ruling annuls Lake’s entire four-month stint, including the August 9 workforce cuts that terminated contracts and dismissed hundreds of VOA employees and contractors. Overall, about 1,400 jobs—approximately 85% of the staff—have been eliminated since March 2025. Voice of America, which once broadcast in 49 languages to roughly 354 million weekly listeners, now operates with a minimal crew in only a few languages.
“The Court finds that these expansive delegations were an unlawful effort to transform Lake into the CEO of U.S. Agency for Global Media in all but name,” Judge Lamberth wrote.
The decision is a significant win for VOA reporters who fought Lake’s attempts to dismantle the outlet. Plaintiffs Patsy Widakuswara, Kate Neeper and Jessica Jerreat hailed the outcome as vindication, saying the ruling “is a powerful step toward undoing the damage she has inflicted on this American institution.”
Lake responded immediately, labeling Lamberth an “activist judge” and announcing plans to appeal. She said President Trump tasked her with cutting excessive bureaucracy and accused the court of blocking those reforms.
The dispute turned on the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which restricts how agencies can install temporary leaders while awaiting Senate confirmation of permanent nominees. Lamberth determined Lake did not satisfy any of the legal criteria to serve as acting CEO.
Lake had not been employed by USAGM when former CEO Amanda Bennett resigned in January 2025. She joined the agency in March as a senior adviser to Victor Morales, who succeeded Bennett, and a November 21 news release referred to her as deputy CEO. Lake argued that as deputy she was eligible to become acting CEO once Morales was removed.
Lamberth dismissed that claim, finding it would effectively sidestep the Senate’s constitutional role in confirming high-level appointees. The judge also voided actions Lake took after Morales delegated nearly all of his duties to her.
The ruling recalls a 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals decision that similarly invalidated Alina Habba’s appointment as U.S. Attorney in New Jersey. In both instances, courts found the administration flouted the Federal Vacancies Reform Act by using tactics to evade Senate confirmation.
This is at least the third time Lamberth has ruled against the Trump administration in cases involving Voice of America. The Reagan-appointed judge blocked plans in April and September that would have cost many VOA employees their jobs, although the April decision was later overturned on appeal.
Lake’s time at USAGM was contentious from the outset. The former Fox 10 Phoenix anchor, who lost political races in Arizona in 2022 and 2024 before joining the Trump administration, moved quickly to reshape the agency, hiring Frank Wuco as an adviser—a conservative former talk-show host who had promoted birther theories about Barack Obama and scrutinized VOA journalists for alleged anti-Trump bias during Trump’s first term.
Under Lake’s direction, VOA effectively went off the air on March 15, 2025, after 83 years broadcasting. She sped up the sale of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building that housed VOA since 1954 and canceled a long-term lease for new offices. Hundreds of staff were given deadlines to accept deferred resignation offers.
The ruling places those moves into legal uncertainty. Employees face unclear prospects about their jobs. The decision also impacts Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other federally funded international media entities overseen by USAGM, which are each involved in separate legal battles.
Lake criticized Lamberth for a “pattern of activist rulings” and said she strongly disagrees with the decision. The government intends to appeal, setting up more litigation in a prolonged fight over the future of America’s overseas broadcasting efforts.
For now, the journalists who challenged Lake’s authority have scored a notable legal win. Whether that leads to restored VOA operations will be decided through the appeals process.
