Federal Judge Nullifies Kari Lake's Actions at U.S. Global Media Agency

A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that Kari Lake acted unlawfully while leading the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federal entity overseeing Voice of America (VOA) and other international broadcasters.

The ruling declared all of Lake's actions over the past year null and void, potentially reversing personnel decisions affecting over 1,000 journalists and staff. Lake has stated her intention to appeal the decision.

Legal Ruling and Authority Challenged

U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth determined that Kari Lake was "plainly ineligible to serve" as acting chief executive of USAGM under relevant U.S. law.

The judge's decision nullifies all actions Lake took while leading the agency.

This ruling follows previous court proceedings where Judge Lamberth questioned the government's legal arguments and Lake's credibility, having threatened her with contempt of court.

Lake was installed as senior advisor and later deputy CEO at USAGM by former President Trump. His legal authority to directly appoint the agency's chief executive without Senate-confirmed board members has been challenged. Lake subsequently referred to herself as the acting CEO, though the White House did not formally announce such an appointment, and her eligibility for the role was questioned.

Lake's Response: "Activist Judge" Claim

In response to the ruling, Lake stated her intent to appeal.

She characterized the judge's decision as an attempt by an "activist judge" to obstruct efforts to reduce bureaucracy and restore accountability within the government, aligning with what she described as former President Trump's mandate.

Allegations of Bias and Policy Violations

During her tenure, Lake's actions at USAGM and VOA drew scrutiny regarding potential violations of federal law and policies. Particular concern was raised about the "editorial firewall" designed to shield editorial decisions from political influence.

Lake was interviewed on VOA's Persian-language service, where she reportedly praised former President Trump's actions toward Iran, referred to him as "the president of peace," and discussed claims about ending wars. She also criticized judges who ruled against Trump and characterized former President Biden's record.

Lake explicitly stated VOA's mission includes sharing statements from President Trump and demonstrating support for him among the Iranian people.

Current and former VOA journalists and USAGM officials reportedly stated that Lake's appearance in a partisan role was unprecedented. This raised significant concerns about journalistic ethics.

Former USAGM general counsel David Kligerman emphasized the importance of journalistic ethics, while former editor Rick Stengel noted Lake's comments sounded more like a press secretary than an independent news service head.

Amid unrest in Iran, Lake emphasized the Persian-language service and appointed Ali Javanmardi to run it. Javanmardi, a former VOA journalist, reportedly praised Trump on air and discouraged booking guests critical of Trump. This led to instances such as the cancellation of an appearance by a former Trump foreign policy adviser.

Javanmardi's social media indicated a mission to align VOA with U.S. foreign policy and convey "POTUS's support for the people of Iran." Questions were raised about Javanmardi's legal authority to direct news coverage, as he is reportedly a USAGM employee rather than VOA, raising similar firewall concerns.

Potential Impact on Agency Operations

If upheld, Judge Lamberth's decision could reverse a series of controversial actions taken by Lake. These include:

• Dismissing all contractors.
• Laying off nearly all permanent network and agency full-time staffers.
• Firing the director of Voice of America.
• Striking a deal to carry content from One America News Network.
• Withholding money from sister networks such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia.
• Canceling a lease for a new headquarters, which previous agency leaders stated would save federal funds.

An outside auditor reported that the extensive layoffs under Lake's tenure rendered the agency unable to fulfill basic financial information requests.

Congressional and Internal Reactions

In response to the Trump administration's actions at USAGM, Congress drafted spending bills allocating $643 million for the agency for fiscal year 2026, a significant increase from the Trump administration's requests. Lawmakers also allocated funds for RFE/RL, which had faced funding cuts.

Senator Mitch McConnell criticized Lake's reported decision to prevent Radio Farda, RFE/RL's Persian-language service, from using shortwave and mediumwave radio transmitters during an internet blackout in Iran. Lake had reportedly referred to Radio Farda as a "propaganda site."

The three named plaintiffs in the lawsuit—Voice of America journalists Patsy Widakuswara and Jessica Jerreat, and USAGM chief strategy officer Kate Neeper—expressed gratitude for the ruling.

They called it a "powerful step toward undoing the damage" and expressed hope for restoring VOA's global operations to produce "journalism, not propaganda."

Voice of America's Core Mission

Voice of America, established during World War II, has historically aimed to model U.S.-style journalism, incorporating diverse viewpoints. Under Lake's tenure, the network faced accusations of becoming a platform for pro-Trump content.