Judge orders Kari Lake to be deposed in Voice of America suit after threatening contempt
A federal judge has ordered Kari lake, a Trump loyalist who has been responsible for effectively shutting down Voice of America (VOA), to be deposed under oath regarding her attempts to dismantle the broadcaster despite legal obligations to maintain its operations. U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth expressed frustration at Lake’s failure to comply with court orders to provide information about her plans for VOA, warning she was “verging on contempt of court.” Lake and her aides must testify by September 15 and disclose withheld information related to VOA and its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
Lake assumed her role during the Trump management,having previously been a local news anchor and Arizona political candidate. Under her leadership, hundreds of contractors were fired and many full-time employees placed on paid leave, citing President Trump’s executive order that substantially cut funding for VOA and its parent agency. she faces lawsuits from VOA’s director,journalists,a senior executive,and unions opposing her efforts to dismantle the broadcaster.
Judge Lamberth previously ruled that Lake acted hastily and likely violated constitutional and legal protections,including the International Broadcasting Act,which mandates VOA’s continued operation. In July, the judge demanded proof of compliance and transparency concerning the $260 million Congressional budget allocated to VOA. Established in 1942 to provide unbiased news during World War II, Voice of America historically broadcast 24-hour news in 49 languages to an audience of 360 million worldwide.
Judge orders Kari Lake to be deposed in Voice of America suit after threatening contempt
A federal judge ordered Kari Lake, a Trump loyalist who oversaw the effective shutdown of Voice of America, to submit to questioning under oath over her efforts to dismantle the broadcaster despite legal obligations to continue its operations.
U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth said Lake was “verging on contempt of court” after she failed to comply with his repeated orders to give over information about her future intentions for the broadcaster.
At a hearing on Monday, government lawyers appeared to frustrate the judge. Lamberth said their answers were evasive and incomplete, and noted that Lake, who was not present at the hearing, “clearly hasn’t complied with my order.”
“On the face of it, she’s on the verge of contempt,” the judge said. “Why is she stonewalling me?”
Lake and her aides must testify by Sept. 15 and provide information about what she has withheld regarding Voice of America and its federal parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, according to the judge’s order.
“I don’t want to go through a contempt trial, but if it comes to that, then we’ll go through a contempt trial,” Lamberth said.
Lake assumed the role in the Trump administration after years as a local news anchor in Phoenix and two failed campaigns for Senate and governor in Arizona. Lake has fired hundreds of contract workers and placed hundreds of additional full-time employees on permanent paid leave. She has cited President Donald Trump’s executive order, which severely cut Voice of America and the network’s parent agency.
Lake is facing a pair of related cases from Voice of America’s director, multiple journalists, a senior executive of its parent company, and unions over her effort to dismantle the broadcaster entirely.
Lamberth previously ruled that Lake had acted hastily, violating legal and constitutional safeguards. In April, Lamberth ruled that dismantling the agency was likely a violation of the Constitution, as the International Broadcasting Act mandates continued operations of federally funded media networks.
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In July, the judge ordered Lake to demonstrate compliance with his order and show how the administration was using the $260 million Voice of America budget that Congress had approved.
Before Lake’s efforts, Voice of America ran a 24-hour news broadcast in 49 languages to 360 million people. It started in 1942 and was broadcast to Nazi-occupied territory in an attempt to give accurate reporting to Europe.
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