A federal judge has ruled that Kari Lake unlawfully exercised control over the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the agency that oversees Voice of America (VOA) and other international broadcasters, and declared her actions over the past year null and void. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth found Lake lacked lawful authority to perform the CEO responsibilities she assumed and said she “satisfies the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution.”
Lamberth’s decision invalidates a wide range of moves Lake made while acting as USAGM’s senior official, including the dismissal of contractors, the mass layoff of more than 1,000 journalists and staff, the firing of VOA’s director, efforts to carry programming from the right‑wing network One America News, withholding funds from sister networks, and canceling a planned headquarters lease that prior leaders said would have saved the government money.
The judge concluded Lake exercised de facto control of the agency but was ineligible to serve as acting CEO under the statutes governing USAGM. He focused his ruling on statutory authority rather than resolving a broader constitutional dispute about congressional control versus presidential prerogative.
Background and the delegation chain
The dispute traces to late February 2025 after President Trump removed six of the seven members of USAGM’s congressionally created oversight board and assigned Lake to a senior adviser role. The acting CEO at the time, Victor Morales, issued a delegation order in March that designated Lake to perform most CEO functions. In July the White House named her acting deputy CEO and again delegated most CEO powers to her. Lake later said she carried out about “95 percent” of the CEO’s duties and, on July 31, began calling herself the agency’s acting CEO.
NPR and other outlets sought formal documentation of a presidential appointment; the court found no public evidence that Trump had named Lake to the post and noted she appears ineligible under several statutory provisions. Lake stopped publicly using the acting CEO title in mid‑November, two days after plaintiffs filed a motion challenging her authority. Court filings later showed she signed agency documents in late January and early February using that title; Justice Department lawyers told the court those entries were formatting errors.
Operational disruption and program changes
The judge highlighted operational harm tied to Lake’s actions. Amid the mass layoffs and staffing disruptions, USAGM struggled to provide basic financial information to auditors. An outside audit team hired by the State Department’s inspector general reported it lacked time to complete a full audit because of those disruptions; USAGM said a complete audit could be completed in the coming year.
Critics say Lake’s changes significantly altered VOA’s mission and coverage. VOA — founded during World War II to model a free press that includes dissent and unfavorable facts — reportedly broadcast in 49 languages before last year; by January it had been reduced to six, the agency said. Opponents also accused Lake of steering remaining VOA coverage toward a pro‑Trump slant, including reporting on the conflict in Iran.
Plaintiffs and reactions
Three named plaintiffs — VOA journalists Patsy Widakuswara and Jessica Jerreat, and USAGM chief strategy officer Kate Neeper — said they were “vindicated and deeply grateful,” calling the ruling a step toward repairing the institution. Democracy Forward CEO Skye Perryman, which co‑represented plaintiffs, described the decision as “a powerful affirmation of the rule of law.”
Lake said she will appeal and in a statement to NPR accused the judge of activism, defending the administration’s effort to cut bureaucracy and restore accountability at USAGM.
Possible next steps
The ruling clears the way to reverse many of Lake’s personnel and programming decisions and could lead to restoring staff, contracts and funding to VOA and affiliated broadcasters such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. It also sets up potential appellate review and further litigation over agency leadership, statutory programming obligations set by Congress, and how to repair operational damage. Former USAGM officials have described abrupt weekend dismissals last year as “Bloody Saturday,” underscoring the abruptness and fallout from the personnel moves.
For now, Lamberth’s opinion invalidates Lake’s actions but leaves unresolved larger questions about how Congress and the president share authority over USAGM — questions likely to resurface if the decision is appealed.