Judge says Kari Lake's tenure atop US media agency was improper, voids actions as 'acting CEO'

Source: Politico



U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth concluded that her ascension was an illegal end-run around the Senate’s advice and consent role.


By Kyle Cheney and Ben Johansen 03/07/2026 07:20 PM EST


Kari Lake was illegally empowered to run the U.S. Agency for Global Media — the federal agency that oversees Voice of America — and her actions in that role were illegitimate, a federal judge ruled Saturday.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth concluded that Lake was ineligible to serve as USAGM’s acting CEO when she was formally elevated to the position on July 31 in an “acting capacity” and without Senate confirmation. She relinquished that position on Nov. 19.

Lamberth said any actions Lake took in that four-month timeframe must be treated as “void,” including an Aug. 29 reduction in USAGM’s workforce. Lamberth also invalidated actions Lake took when the agency’s previous acting CEO, Victor Morales, delegated nearly the entirety of his responsibilities to her, concluding that this was also an illegal end-run around the Senate’s advice and consent role.

“The Court finds that these expansive delegations were an unlawful effort to transform Lake into the CEO of U.S. Agency for Global Media in all but name,” the judge wrote..................................


Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/07/kari-lake-usagm-judge-00818165

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Thank the heavens for Federal judges.
The article says Lake disagrees and that the government will appeal.

@democrats.senate.gov

Judge says Kari Lake’s tenure atop US media agency was improper, voids actions as ‘acting CEO’

politi.co/40f9lbZ via @politico

— (@oceancalm.bsky.social) 2026-03-08T00:51:54.649Z

Kari Lake, President Donald Trump's choice to lead Voice of America, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 21, 2025.

Link to tweet

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