Unyielding in her mission to clean up government waste, Kari Lake has taken swift action at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), revealing fraudulent activities and financial mismanagement left by previous administrations. Appointed by President Trump as the senior adviser, Lake is now steering the agency, which oversees the Voice of America.
Known for her fierce battles in Arizona’s contested elections, Lake has always been a staunch advocate for truth and transparency. Previously, she faced fraudulent schemes that cost her victory not once, but twice. Now, as a key figure in President Trump’s administration, her influence and experience are proving crucial.
Having recently sworn in as Trump’s senior advisor, Lake’s new role has her laser-focused on cutting unnecessary costs and rooting out corruption at USAGM.
On Saturday, Lake announced she was instituting sweeping reforms, thereby saving taxpayers millions. She exposed the extravagant spending by Biden’s team, including a massive new lease for a lavish Washington D.C. office building, despite the presence of a paid-off premises.
Kari Lake: Hi, America. I’m here in Washington, DC, as Senior Advisor at United States Agency for Global Media. I’m working on behalf of you and President Trump and his administration, and I have been on the job for a couple of weeks now, and I’m horrified by some of the things I’m learning about this agency. I’m sitting here on the 13th floor of a shiny, brand new, beautiful skyscraper building that is costing you, the taxpayer, a fortune. The Biden administration folks who were running this agency before, right before they left office, signed a brand new lease for this building, a 15-year lease that’s going to cost the taxpayer nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. Here’s the kicker. They already have a building that they’re located in that is paid off, that they could have renovated or updated, but they chose instead to get us into a lease that’s costing the taxpayer a fortune. I know that every one of you out there is working hard and parting with your tax dollars You’re expecting it to be used wisely, not misused and mismanaged. I can tell you that this building is a colossal waste of money. Take a look at what’s in this building.
The building features opulent conference rooms, costly décor, and more. Lake vows to put an end to such misuse of taxpayer funds, aiming to cancel imprudent contracts and downsize where possible.
MUST SEE: America, how do you feel about leasing a fancy Washington DC high-rise for a quarter of $1 billion? That’s exactly what the last administration did at the US Agency for Global Media. @KariLake exposes waste & corruption, and will work to root it out. WATCH & SHARE!… pic.twitter.com/8Zs5XhKV3I
— Kari Lake (@KariLake)
March 14, 2025
In another bold move, Lake locked out over 1,000 Voice of America employees. This follows a directive from President Trump, emphasizing the need to cut federal bureaucracy and keep only essential operations.
NPR.org reported that journalists were surprised by mass suspensions, with Lake leading this move to streamline operations. Her decisive actions are rooted in a desire to ensure taxpayer dollars are efficiently spent, prioritizing the nation’s interests and fiscal responsibility.
Under her leadership, contracts with international broadcasters like Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia were also terminated. The goal is clear: eliminate unnecessary, taxpayer-burdening operations.
