US judge voids 2025 actions taken by Kari Lake as Voice of America CEO, including job cuts
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A federal judge ruled on March 7 that Ms Kari Lake’s (right) leadership of the US Agency for Global Media for much of 2025 violated federal law.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - A federal judge ruled on March 7 that Ms Kari Lake’s leadership of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) for much of 2025 violated federal law, invalidating a sweeping series of actions she took to cut staff and end many operations at its Voice of America (VOA) unit.
In another blow to the Trump administration’s attempts to diminish various government agencies, US District Judge Royce Lamberth granted a summary judgment in favour of the plaintiffs – including VOA journalists and a union representing federal employees – who argued that Ms Lake’s appointment as acting chief executive and actions she took in that role ran afoul of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the Constitution’s Appointments Clause.
Judge Lamberth ruled that Ms Lake was ineligible to serve as acting CEO because she was not employed by USAGM when former CEO Amanda Bennett resigned in January 2025, and had not been confirmed by the Senate to any other federal post.
Ms Lake officially joined USAGM in March 2025 as a senior adviser. A Nov 21 news release from the agency called her deputy CEO.
The judge also rejected the administration’s argument that Ms Lake could wield CEO authority through a delegation from previous acting CEO Victor Morales.
The March 7 decision marks at least the third time Judge Lamberth has ruled against the Trump administration in cases involving the VOA. The judge in April and September halted plans that would have put many VOA employees out of work, although the April ruling was later overturned by an appeals court.
Ms Lake vowed to appeal against Judge Lamberth’s latest ruling.
“Judge Lamberth has a pattern of activist rulings – and this case is no different,” she said in a statement.
The named plaintiffs, Ms Patsy Widakuswara, Ms Kate Neeper and Ms Jessica Jerreat, said the decision “brings renewed hope and momentum” as they push to roll back cuts in VOA’s operations around the world.
“We feel vindicated and deeply grateful,” they said in a statement.
Under the Vacancies Act, actions taken by someone not lawfully serving in a vacant office “shall have no force or effect” and cannot be ratified, Judge Lamberth wrote.
That standard could threaten the legal standing of Ms Lake’s decisions, including a reduction-in-force affecting hundreds of employees that remains under a court-ordered suspension.
“As a consequence, any actions taken by Lake during her asserted tenure as acting CEO between July 31 and Nov 19, 2025... are void,” Judge Lamberth wrote.
VOA, which had broadcast in 49 languages to 420 million people across more than 100 countries, was limited to four languages under the administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency. REUTERS
