The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federal agency overseeing Voice of America, failed to cooperate with a mandatory annual financial audit, resulting in auditors issuing a rare disclaimed opinion due to material and pervasive lack of access to required documents.
The NY Times reports An independent audit report from Kearney and Company, dated February 27, 2026, concluded that USAGM's refusal to provide necessary information prevented a proper examination of the agency's 2025 financial statements. This marked a sharp break from the agency's prior record of 20 consecutive clean audit opinions through 2024.
The development highlights ongoing turmoil at USAGM under the leadership of Kari Lake.
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| Kari Lake |
Compounding the issues, a federal judge ruled last week that Lake's appointment as acting head was unlawful and violated federal law, including the Appointments Clause and Federal Vacancies Reform Act. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth declared her actions during her tenure, roughly from late July to mid-November 2025, null and void. This includes mass layoffs that affected nearly all of Voice of America's approximately 1,400 journalists and support staff, sparing only a small number, along with funding cuts and contract terminations.
Lake has vowed to appeal the ruling.
The audit failure represents the latest indicator of instability and management challenges at the agency amid efforts to significantly downsize or restructure its operations.