Overview

• A GAO review will examine accusations that Lake violated the Anti-Deficiency Act by sidelining VOA employees with paid leave.
• VOA Director Michael Abramowitz filed a lawsuit alleging USAGM is trying to remove him unlawfully from his post.
• VOA’s workforce has shrunk from more than 1,300 employees to a few dozen, and language services have been cut from nearly 50 to just a handful.
• Lake has publicly threatened to deport former J-1 visa-holding staffers, leading some to seek asylum or other legal paths to remain in the United States.
• Legal challenges persist over Lake’s appointment authority under USAGM’s charter and the role of its Senate-confirmed advisory board.