No acting CEO can serve at the U.S. Agency for Global Media until President Donald Trump nominates a permanent chief executive, Department of Justice attorneys told a federal court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
The government filing provided no timeline for a nomination and left the leadership of the U.S.-funded news organizations — including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and others — in limbo.
In a memo submitted by 5 p.m. Wednesday in response to a court order, DOJ attorneys stated that USAGM “does not have a ‘succession plan for the CEO of USAGM.’” They argued that no one can be elevated to acting CEO without a presidential nomination for a permanent replacement, because only after such a nomination is sent to the Senate does authority for an acting CEO “spring back.”
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| Kari Lake |
The position has been vacant since U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled Saturday that Kari Lake’s appointment as acting CEO was invalid. That ruling nullified her prior actions, including mass layoffs across the agency.
The White House did not immediately comment on when Trump plans to nominate a permanent USAGM CEO. A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said they are still reviewing the government’s submission.
Judge Lamberth had ordered the government to name an acting CEO and submit an outline of a succession plan by Wednesday’s deadline. The DOJ response effectively declined to do so, citing the need for a Senate-bound nomination first.