WASHINGTON, DC – A federal judge out of Washington, DC, issued a ruling earlier in March which voided the actions taken by Kari Lake during her time acting as the deputy CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) in 2025, with the judge citing both the Appointments Clause and Vacancies Act as the rationale behind the ruling.
In a ruling issued on March 7th, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth declared that “any actions taken by Lake” while she served as the CEO of the USAGM “are void,” which puts Lake’s sweeping restructuring of the agency potentially at risk.
Back in August of 2025, Lake had reportedly eliminated over 530 government positions at the USAGM, saying in an announcement at the time that is was a reduction in force under “the President’s direction to help reduce the federal bureaucracy, improve agency service, and save the American people more of their hard-earned money.”
Per a report from Politico regarding the then-issued order by Lake, the outlet highlighted how the USAGM oversees the government-funded Voice of America international broadcasting system, which was originally created during World War 2 to combat propaganda coming from the Axis powers.
Judge Lamberth claimed in his ruling that Lake was never properly appointed to her role within the government agency, writing, “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.”
Citing how Lake had not been employed by the USAGM prior to former CEO Amanda Bennett’s January 2025 resignation, as well as lacking a Senate confirmation to the post, the judge has for the third time issued rulings against the Trump administration regarding the matters of USAGM and Voice of America, with the prior two rulings blocking the August 2025 reduction in force.
Lake has since responded following the ruling, noting that an appeal is on its way, further adding, “Judge Lamberth has a pattern of activist rulings - and this case is no different.”
In a ruling issued on March 7th, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth declared that “any actions taken by Lake” while she served as the CEO of the USAGM “are void,” which puts Lake’s sweeping restructuring of the agency potentially at risk.
Back in August of 2025, Lake had reportedly eliminated over 530 government positions at the USAGM, saying in an announcement at the time that is was a reduction in force under “the President’s direction to help reduce the federal bureaucracy, improve agency service, and save the American people more of their hard-earned money.”
Per a report from Politico regarding the then-issued order by Lake, the outlet highlighted how the USAGM oversees the government-funded Voice of America international broadcasting system, which was originally created during World War 2 to combat propaganda coming from the Axis powers.
Judge Lamberth claimed in his ruling that Lake was never properly appointed to her role within the government agency, writing, “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.”
Citing how Lake had not been employed by the USAGM prior to former CEO Amanda Bennett’s January 2025 resignation, as well as lacking a Senate confirmation to the post, the judge has for the third time issued rulings against the Trump administration regarding the matters of USAGM and Voice of America, with the prior two rulings blocking the August 2025 reduction in force.
Lake has since responded following the ruling, noting that an appeal is on its way, further adding, “Judge Lamberth has a pattern of activist rulings - and this case is no different.”
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