Overview
- Lamberth granted summary judgment finding Lake ineligible to serve as acting USAGM CEO, ruling that all actions she took between July 31 and Nov. 19, 2025 — including mass layoffs — are void.
- Lake’s installation violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, the court said, noting she was not Senate-confirmed and was not employed at USAGM when the vacancy arose.
- The judge also rejected the workaround that delegated nearly all CEO authority to Lake from then–acting CEO Victor Morales, calling it an unlawful end-run around the Senate’s advice-and-consent role.
- Kari Lake denounced the decision as “activist,” said she strongly disagrees, and announced plans to appeal, while plaintiffs Patsy Widakuswara, Kate Neeper and Jessica Jerreat said they feel vindicated.
- The ruling cannot be retroactively ratified; if upheld on appeal, it could enable more than 1,000 affected employees to return, though practical restoration of staffing and operations remains uncertain.