Federal judge rules Kari Lake lacked authority over Voice of America layoffs
Kari Lake, U.S. President Donald Trump's choice to lead Voice of America (VOA), speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 21, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Ph
On Saturday, a federal judge determined that Kari Lake, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Agency for Global Media, lacked the legal authority to carry out the actions she has taken to largely dismantle Voice of America.
It was not immediately clear how the ruling would affect VOA’s operations.
What's next:
Lake called the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth "bogus" and said it will be appealed.
What they're saying:
"Only the Appointments Clause or the Vacancies Act's exclusive structure may authorize service as a principal officer, and Lake satisfies the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution," Lamberth wrote.
Lamberth was ruling on a lawsuit filed by Patsy Widakuswara, Voice of America's White House bureau chief, and colleagues Kate Neeper and Jessica Jerreat. They were among the employees laid off by Lake and have been fighting the actions.
"We feel vindicated and deeply grateful," the journalists said in a statement. They said the ruling against Lake "is a powerful step toward undoing the damage she has inflicted on this American institution that we love." They said they are still trying to determine what the action effectively means for colleagues whose careers have been in limbo.
The other side:
Lake, in a statement posted on X, said she strongly disagreed with the decision.
"The American people gave President Trump a mandate to cut bloated bureaucracy, eliminate waste, and restore accountability to government," she said. "An activist judge is trying to stand in the way of those efforts at USAGM. Judge Lamberth has a pattern of activist rulings — and this case is no different."
The backstory:
Voice of America, which has transmitted news coverage to countries around the world since its formation during World War II, is operating with a skeleton staff in only a handful of languages after Lake terminated contracts and laid off most of its employees.
Lake had been chosen by Trump to effectively lead the agency that oversees Voice of America and other services like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. But she has not received Senate confirmation for her role, and Lamberth said she did not have authority to act in that capacity due to laws that guard against unqualified government appointments.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from a federal court ruling issued by U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth, as well as statements from Kari Lake and the Voice of America journalists who filed the lawsuit. This story was reported from Los Angeles.