Public Trust Tracker

MED-004 · Press & media · Public media funding

Dismantling of Voice of America under Kari Lake

Stage 4 of 5: Legal action · Lawsuits, subpoenas, charges · Last development 18 Sep 2026

From March 2025 the U.S. Agency for Global Media, run in practice by Kari Lake, put most Voice of America staff on leave and moved to shrink the broadcaster to its legal minimum. On 7 March 2026 Judge Royce Lamberth (a Reagan appointee) ruled that Lake was never lawfully in charge and declared her actions void, including layoffs of more than 1,000 staff, and ordered employees back. On 31 March 2026 the D.C. Circuit paused the return of staff while the government appeals; most of the ruling stands.

Appeal pending (D.C. Circuit Nos. 26-5086/5087, consolidated). The district court case is still active.

People
Kari Lake, Victor Morales
Agencies
U.S. Agency for Global Media
Reviewed by
Federal courts

Timeline

  1. Lamberth issues a further memorandum opinion in the case. [3]

  2. D.C. Circuit consolidates the appeals and grants a stay pending appeal. [2]

  3. Judge Lamberth rules Lake's tenure unlawful and voids her actions. [1]

  4. Acting CEO Victor Morales delegates nearly all CEO powers to Lake; mass leave and layoffs follow. [1]

Responses

  • Kari Lake: Called Lamberth an "activist judge" and said the agency would appeal. [1]

Who is acting on it

  • Lawsuit Voice of America journalists and staff: Sued over Kari Lake's takeover of the agency (7 Mar 2026, What happened next)

Sources

  1. NPR, 8 Mar 2026
  2. D.C. Circuit docket 26-5087 (CourtListener)
  3. D.D.C. docket 1:25-cv-01015 (CourtListener)

Cite this case

Public Trust Tracker. "Dismantling of Voice of America under Kari Lake" (MED-004). Last updated 18 Sep 2026. https://publictrusttracker.org/case/med-004-dismantling-of-voice-of-america-under-kari-lake/

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