Courthouse press conference

Judge: “Why is [Kari Lake] stonewalling me?”

At a DC federal district court hearing, Judge Lamberth ruled in favor of a plaintiff request to depose three senior USAGM officials, including Lake, who is effectively heading the agency, but stopped short of holding Lake in contempt.

By Patsy Widakuswara, Jessica Jerreat and Kate Neeper

August 25, 2025

The named plaintiffs in Widakuswara v. Lake speak at a press conference on Monday after a hearing at the U.S. District Court in Washington.

Judge Royce Lamberth said Lake is “on the verge of contempt” and “clearly hasn’t complied with my order” to restore VOA programming to fulfill its statutory obligations.

“Why is she stonewalling me?” the judge asked a government lawyer, referring to the lack of information Lake has provided to the court despite repeated requests.