Lake Tells 500 VOA Employees They're Laid Off

Kari Lake sent layoff notices to 532 employees of Voice of America and its parent agency on Friday night that said they took effect Saturday. Lake, the acting CEO of the US Agency for Global Media, said the move to initiate a reduction in force is intended to decrease federal bureaucracy and save taxpayer money, the Washington Post reports. The layoffs could escalate the Trump administration's confrontation with a federal judge who had blocked attempts to restructure the international news network, per the New York Times.

The layoffs would leave about 100 journalists and other staff members with jobs. Lake, who has criticized the agency as "rotten to the core," said the cuts would allow the government-funded organizations to focus on getting news to people living under Communist governments and dictators. The president of the union representing VOA employees responded that the layoffs are illegal. "The manner in which they are being executed reveals the contempt this administration has for federal employees and the rule of law," said Paula Hickey, per the Times.

Lake also tried to dismiss more than 600 full-time employees in June—a decision reversed after union objections over administrative errors. She also fired 500 contractors in May. A federal judge ruled in April that the law requiring VOA to broadcast meant the administration had to restore the network. On Thursday, District Judge Royce Lamberth blocked her from ousting Michael Abramowitz as VOA director, per the AP. On Monday, he gave the administration "one final opportunity, short of a contempt trial" to show it's complying with his order to restore the VOA's operations. In addition, a group of VOA journalists has sued the administration, arguing the cutbacks are unlawful.