U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth has issued a ruling halting the planned termination of 532 employees at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), rejecting acting CEO Kari Lake’s proposed layoffs, which were based on claims of non-compliance with legal standards in news coverage. The decision comes as Lamberth considers civil contempt proceedings against Lake’s administration for allegedly providing misleading information to the court. Lamberth ordered the immediate disclosure of additional documents related to the reduction-in-force (RIF) plan, citing ongoing non-compliance and signaling potential sanctions if the administration fails to meet deadlines set for Oct. 15.

Lamberth criticized the agency’s lack of transparency, stating, “Time and time again, the defendants have resisted the Court’s efforts to obtain information concerning whether they have fashioned a plan for compliance.”

He remarked, “The Court no longer harbors any doubt that defendants lack a plan to comply with the preliminary injunction, and instead have been running out the clock on the fiscal year while remaining in violation of even the most meager reading of USAGM and Voice of America’s statutory obligations.”

The judge highlighted statutory breaches, particularly the reduction of Dari and Pashto broadcasts by Voice of America, warning that the proposed layoffs would create significant coverage gaps in critical regions such as North Korea and China. Lamberth noted, “Equity is allergic to rigidity.”

The ruling ensures job security for USAGM employees through mid-October and mandates that Lake reinstate legally required programming to address compliance failures.

In response, Lake sharply criticized the judge, stating, “I think some of his rulings have been absurd, as I said, terrible.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-deals-blow-to-kari-lake-rejects-layoffs/ss-AA1Oi2Pb