Federal Judge Blocks Kari Lake from Firing VOA President, Ensures Taxpayers Keep Paying Him Six Figures to Do Nothing
Kari Lake’s attempt to remove Michael Abramowitz, the director of Voice of America (VOA), has been blocked by a federal judge.Lake, who oversees the U.S. Agency for Global Media (which includes VOA) in an interim role appointed by former President Donald Trump, has been trying to reduce the agency’s staff adn oust Abramowitz. Though, Abramowitz contends that he can only be removed with approval from an advisory board requiring Senate confirmation-a board that Trump dismissed in January and has yet to replace. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth upheld Abramowitz’s position, stating that the President’s remedy is to appoint new board members. Abramowitz has been on paid leave since March. Lake has expressed intent to appeal the ruling and remains determined to downsize the agency despite legal challenges and criticism from the judge, who has described her efforts as bordering on contempt of court.
Kari Lake’s effort to fire Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz has been blocked by a federal judge.
Lake has been trying to oust Abramowitz as she reduces the staff of the agency, but Abramowitz has fought back, saying the only way to fire him is to go through an advisory board that requires Senate confirmation, according to The Washington Post. He has been on paid leave since March.
President Donald Trump removed everyone on the board in January. Replacements are not yet in place.
Trump chose Lake to oversee the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which includes VOA, but she is currently overseeing the agencies in an interim role.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, upheld Abramowitz’s position.
“To the extent the Board’s current lack of quorum institutes a practical barrier to removing Abramowitz, the Broadcast Act gives the President a straightforward remedy: replacing the removed members,” Lamberth wrote, according to CNN.
Abramowitz made approximately $380,000 in 2024, according to ProPublica.
Lake said she will not take the ruling lying down, The Washington Post reported.
“We fully intend to appeal this absurd ruling,” she said in a statement.
“Elections have consequences, and President Trump runs the executive branch. I have confidence that the Constitution will eventually be enforced, even if not by Judge Lamberth and other radical district judges.”
On Aug 1, Abramowitz was notified by John Zadrozny, a senior adviser at the USAGM, that he would be fired after not accepting a job running a North Carolina broadcasting station.
Lake has been seeking to cut the staff of VOA and its parent entity. Abramowitz has sued Lake over those efforts, with Lamberth remaining critical of her efforts to downsize the agencies.
He said her actions to cut the agencies were “verging on contempt.”
From what we’ve seen in reports dating back to 2001, Voice of America’s Mandarin service managers were meeting at the Chinese embassy in D.C. and receiving advice on how to cover Beijing.
One VOA worker actually pledged his support for the CCP at one of those meetings.
You… pic.twitter.com/4KXs6G2ZE2
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) July 24, 2025
Lake has fought back and is undeterred in her plans to reduce staff.
“Of course I’ve got a judge here in Washington, D.C. — I’ve got five cases against me as I try to scale this monster, this beast back and rightsize it,” she said.
“I mean, I’ve got a judge who’s threatening me with contempt of court, throwing me in prison, if I don’t produce more of the propaganda that he wants me to produce,” Lake added.
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These Federal Judges have not become the voice of Justice but the voice of radical over reach non elected judges who think they should hav e a political say in the politics of the day ,close their office and phase them out they have become worthless. drain on the tax payers of America. If other countries heads of government have agreed to the tariffs that’s two heads of State agreeing what’s good for their Countries where do these overreach unelected judges think they have any jurisdictions over international matters of state governments? The same with these judges who think they have control over military bases that treaties have governed long before they came into existence. The Indian nations of Florida tribes never lost a war with the state of Florida or the Federal Government, Treaties rule land in Florida not some DEI Biden appointed clown the treaties were between Jackson and the Tribal leaders which controlled land decisions for military and reservations .