The same judge ruled this month that Lake's appointment as head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, violated federal law.

The same judge ruled this month that Lake’s appointment as head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, violated federal law.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the U.S. Agency for Global Media must reverse its decision that put more than 1,000 Voice of America employees on leave, dealing a blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to gut VOA.

The same judge recently said the appointment of Trump ally Kari Lake, who oversaw the job cuts as head of USAGM, violated federal law.

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth said Tuesday that Lake “repeatedly thumbed her nose” at statutory requirements and that the Trump administration has “made no effort to defend the merits” of its downsizing decision.

  • stoly@lemmy.world
    3·
    5 hours ago

    What’s bizarre to me is that Trump just tried to destroy it instead of turning it into a propaganda machine, which would have been far less contested and would have furthered their goals better.

      • stoly@lemmy.world
        3·
        5 hours ago

        I think it would be fairer to call it heavily biased. I’m just saying that it’s surprising me to me that they didn’t turn it into a giant propaganda mill since they already had access to so many venues.

        • Jax@sh.itjust.works
          2·
          4 hours ago

          That’s a fair assessment, it could have gone from heavily biased to just outright state regime media.

  • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    9 hours ago

    What consequences will there be for Lake and anyone else involved with her efforts?

    If there are none, this will just happen again the next time we’re dumb enough to elect a republican.

    • GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world
      2·
      2 hours ago

      I’m of the opinion that unless this ends with the executions of high ranking officials it will absolutely happen again, probably the next election it can. And THAT will be the last time.

  • reddig33@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    8 hours ago

    I hope what this means is:

    • Most of these employees have moved on to other jobs but will still get back pay for between the date they are fired and the date they turn in their official resignation.
    • VOA has to hire new employees for those who moved on, and the new hires will certainly ask for higher pay before agreeing to take the job.
  • TwilitSky@lemmy.world
    7·
    9 hours ago

    It’s amazing to me. Hundreds of innocent people in this country every year get shot for no reason but for some reason you can get away with laying off 1,000 people for laughs and nothing happens. You’d think one of them would lose it.