A federal court has delivered a significant blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to restructure U.S. government-funded media outlets, declaring that mass layoffs at Voice of America and related organizations were implemented by an unlawfully appointed official.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth issued a ruling on Saturday that determined Kari Lake, a former television anchor selected by former President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), had been appointed in violation of constitutional and statutory requirements. The decision effectively nullifies all personnel actions taken during her tenure, including the planned dismissal of over 500 employees.
Lake was hired as part of the Trump administration’s broader initiative to exert greater control over what it perceived as hostile journalism within government-funded media entities. Shortly after her appointment, she announced substantial funding reductions and workforce cuts targeting Voice of America—an organization established during World War II as a crucial instrument of American soft power and democratic messaging worldwide.
The legal challenge emerged when affected employees filed suit against Lake, resulting in a temporary suspension of the layoffs last September pending judicial review. Judge Lamberth’s ruling concluded that Lake’s appointment violated both the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, rendering her authority during the period from July 31 to November 19, 2025, fundamentally illegitimate.
Consequently, all actions taken under her purported leadership, including the August reduction-in-force initiatives, have been declared void. The USAGM operates as an independent federal agency responsible for promoting democratic values and countering propaganda internationally through outlets including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
The Trump administration frequently criticized media organizations and specifically denounced VOA’s editorial firewall, which protects journalistic independence by preventing government interference in content. Lake, who previously ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Arizona in 2024, has not yet publicly commented on the court’s decision.