The same judge ruled this month that Lake's appointment as head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, violated federal law.

The same judge ruled this month that Lake’s appointment as head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, violated federal law.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the U.S. Agency for Global Media must reverse its decision that put more than 1,000 Voice of America employees on leave, dealing a blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to gut VOA.

The same judge recently said the appointment of Trump ally Kari Lake, who oversaw the job cuts as head of USAGM, violated federal law.

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth said Tuesday that Lake “repeatedly thumbed her nose” at statutory requirements and that the Trump administration has “made no effort to defend the merits” of its downsizing decision.