A federal judge ruled that Kari Lake, who was selected by President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, did not have the legal authority to carry out a series of sweeping changes at the agency. 

Lake has dramatically scaled back operations at Voice of America.

Founded during World War II, the service became a major channel through which the United States communicated with people living under censorship or limited press freedom.

Under Lake, contracts with journalists and producers have been terminated, and most employees have been laid off. Programming that once aired in dozens of languages dwindled to just a small handful, leaving the newsroom running with a skeleton staff.

Lake had been tapped to effectively lead the agency responsible for Voice of America as well as outlets like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. However, she had not received confirmation from the U.S. Senate.

"Only the Appointments Clause or the Vacancies Act's exclusive structure may authorize service as a principal officer, and Lake satisfies the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution," U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth wrote.