Kari Lake a step closer to being US ambassador to Jamaica

Kari Lake is a step closer to becoming the U.S. ambassador to Jamaica.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed Lake’s nomination on a 12-10 party line vote Wednesday, according to committee spokesperson Suzanne Wrasse.

The next step is a confirmation vote on the Senate floor.

President Donald Trump nominated Lake, a former Phoenix news anchor, to be the ambassador after two failed statewide campaigns in Arizona and a rocky stint atop the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the parent agency of Voice of America.

Lake did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Republican Lake tried to strike a diplomatic tone during her June confirmation hearing for the Jamaica post, though she was dogged by the baseless claims she made as a political candidate.

Lawmakers also pressed her on why she ordered mass firings at Voice of America, which were eventually undone by a judge.

However, one mystery still remained. Lake’s hearing did not address why her certificate of competency for the Jamaica post falsely claimed that she won two Billboard music awards.

Lake’s song with The Truth Bombers, “81 Million Votes My A–,” made it on the Billboard charts but it did not win an award. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee did not say whether the awards were addressed before it voted.

If confirmed to serve as ambassador, Lake said she would prioritize preparation and support for natural disasters, strengthen security cooperation and advance the nation’s economic interests in Jamaica.

Lake told the committee in June that she has a deep appreciation for the country and spent her honeymoon there.