Judge rules Kari Lake unlawfully ran US media agency, voiding mass layoffs | Trump administration
A federal judge ruled Saturday that Kari Lake illegally led the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) for several months last year, invalidating mass layoffs and other actions to disband the agency during that period.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is an independent federal agency. checks Voice of America (VOA), the United States’ largest and oldest international broadcaster, provides grants to Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe and other news agencies.
The Trump administration moved to cut the agency’s funding in early 2025 and appointed Lake to oversee the agency, but he failed to gain Senate confirmation for his role. Despite efforts to cut funding for the agency, Congress allocated That’s half a billion dollars more in funding than Lake requested for the agency in 2026.
Lake, as per his duty, cut the contracts and More than 1,000 staff positions He was with the agency when he was appointed to the position on July 31 before leaving the position on November 19.
“Only the Appointments Clause or the specific construction of the Vacancies Act would authorize service as chief officer, and Lake meets the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution,” U.S. district court judge Royce C. Lamberth wrote in the decision.
Lambert bent over regarding the decision made by third half The appeals court ruled that the appointment of Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Alina Habba to the US attorney’s office in New Jersey was invalid.
“Adopting Lake’s position would require the Court to find that the President may fill the first assistant position at any time during a vacancy in a Senate-confirmed office and then … designate the first assistant as acting officer,” Lamberth said. in question in the decision.
lake said expression on social media: “We will appeal this outrageous decision by an activist DC District Court Judge.” The lake also republished The judge responded to the claim that he slept through arguments at the hearing: “Not surprising. Morbid obesity can cause major problems with blood sugar.”
Lamberth appointed By Ronald Reagan in 1987.
Plaintiffs in the case, VOA White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, Jessica Jerreat and Kate Neeper, said they were “vindicated and deeply grateful” for the judge’s decision in the case.
“ judge’s decision “The fact that Kari Lake’s actions will have no impact or impact is a strong step toward undoing the damage she has done to this American institution we love,” they said. expression. “Even as we work through what this decision means for our colleagues harmed by his actions, it brings new hope and momentum to the next phase of our fight: restoring VOA’s global operations and ensuring we can continue to produce journalism, not propaganda.”
