Micah Jonah
March 8, 2026
A United States federal judge has ruled that actions taken by Kari Lake during her leadership of the US Agency for Global Media were unlawful, nullifying decisions that included staff reductions and operational cuts at Voice of America.
The decision was delivered by Royce Lamberth, who said Lake’s appointment as acting chief executive violated federal law.
The judge ruled that Lake was not eligible to serve in the role under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act because she was not employed by the agency when former CEO Amanda Bennett stepped down in January 2025 and had not been confirmed by the US Senate for another federal position.
According to the court, Lake only joined the agency in March 2025 as a senior adviser and later served as deputy chief executive.
Lamberth ruled that any actions taken by Lake between July 31 and November 19, 2025, including plans to reduce the workforce, limit operations at Voice of America, have no legal effect.
The case was brought by several journalists at Voice of America, including Patsy Widakuswara, Kate Neeper and Jessica Jerreat, alongside a labour union representing federal employees.
The plaintiffs argued that Lake’s appointment and decisions violated the US Constitution’s Appointments Clause and federal law governing temporary appointments to government positions.
The ruling marks another legal setback for the administration of Donald Trump in disputes involving Voice of America.
Following the decision, Lake said she would appeal the ruling, accusing the judge of issuing what she described as an activist decision.
Voice of America previously broadcast in 49 languages to an estimated global audience of about 420 million people across more than 100 countries. Under the restructuring plan introduced during Lake’s tenure, the broadcaster’s operations were reduced to only four languages.
