In a striking decision, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth has intervened to stop planned mass layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), delivering a pointed critique of Kari Lake and the Trump administration, Fox News reported.
In a 19-page ruling on Sept. 30, 2025, Judge Lamberth blocked the terminations and ordered the agencies to maintain their workforce until at least Oct. 14, 2025, while demanding a plan to restore legally mandated programming.
The ruling came after growing concerns over VOA's diminishing capacity to deliver reliable news as required by Congress. Judge Lamberth highlighted that further staff cuts would severely impair the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission. He noted that such reductions would "cement" VOA’s failure to meet its legal duties.
Evidence presented in court revealed that VOA had already scaled back critical operations, including language services mandated by Congress. The agency admitted its radio presence is now reduced to just one 30-minute daily program in Dari and Pashto.
This limited output leaves vast regions, including North Korea and China, without adequate coverage. The judge pointed out glaring gaps in VOA’s programming for other parts of the world as well.
Kari Lake, under oath, acknowledged she hadn’t "given it a lot of thought" about whether Africa is a significant region under legal standards. She also confirmed that VOA currently produces no content for South America.
Judge Lamberth did not hold back in his criticism of Lake and her team’s approach. He accused them of showing "brazen disinterest" in their statutory responsibilities.
He further charged them with openly defying congressional mandates. The judge also took issue with the Trump administration’s conduct during the legal proceedings.
He called it "incredible" that they claimed the reduction in force was still uncertain when evidence indicated it was already underway. This apparent deception drew sharp rebuke from the bench.
Lamberth expressed frustration over the administration’s failure to comply with court directives. Despite orders to produce documents about future planned layoffs, they did not provide the requested information.
This led the judge to warn that such behavior could warrant contempt proceedings. In his ruling, Lamberth emphasized the court’s role in curbing executive overreach.
He underscored that the ongoing "disrespect" for judicial orders would not be tolerated. He even noted that "equity is allergic to rigidity" in addressing the administration’s inflexible stance.
The scope of the blocked layoffs extended to both VOA and USAGM employees. Judge Lamberth rejected attempts by the administration to exclude non-VOA staff from the protective order.
The judge’s findings also pointed to specific legal violations by VOA in recent operations. He noted that the agency had shut down required language services despite clear congressional instructions.
Lamberth’s order mandates that the workforce remain intact until at least Oct. 14, 2025. By that date, Lake and her team must submit a detailed plan to restore programming that complies with legal requirements.
