Judge orders Kari Lake to answer questions about Voice of America under oath

Source: NPR

August 26, 2025 5:00 AM ET



A senior federal judge ordered Trump administration official Kari Lake to submit to questioning under oath in ongoing litigation over her efforts to effectively dismantle Voice of America despite Congressional mandates that it be maintained. U.S District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth said Lake was "verging on contempt of court" for failing to comply with his repeated orders to make information available about her intentions for the future of the federally funded international broadcaster.

He said Lake and two aides had to testify by Sept. 15 and provide the court with detailed information she had, to date, withheld about Voice of America and its federal parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. One of the aides is Frank Wuco, a political appointee who helped to investigate Voice of America journalists for ideological bias at the end of President Trump's first term.

In a comment emailed to NPR, Lake rejected the judge's power in the case to have the final say over her actions. "Time and again, we've seen district court judges overstep their authority," Lake told NPR. "It's wrong, but sadly, it's become the norm. The current case against USAGM is a great example of why we need to restore constitutional checks and balances."

Lake is being sued in a pair of related cases brought by Voice of America's director, several journalists, a senior executive of its parent agency, and assorted unions and press advocacy groups.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/26/nx-s1-5506283/judge-order-kari-lake-sworn-deposition-voice-of-america-oath-usagm