FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 11, 2023
Independent, Non-Partisan Report to the President Confirms Whistleblower Reports of Misconduct by Trump Political Appointees at Voice of America
Office of Special Counsel Determines Independent Investigation Largely Substantiates “Deeply Troubling Conduct” Reported by Government Accountability Project Whistleblower Clients
WASHINGTON— On May 10, 2023, Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner, the government watchdog who heads the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), notified President Biden that he had determined—after an 18 month independent investigation—that whistleblower reports of abuses by political operatives installed at the Voice of America, its sibling networks and its oversight agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), were true.
By law, these networks must report the news independently without government interference. Because of that, a worldwide audience in the hundreds of millions listen, watch, and read what they have to say. During his last six months in office, President Trump tried to change that. He installed political operatives set on turning the networks into tools to broadcast his propaganda.
Public servants committed to press freedom and democracy stepped forward as whistleblowers to report abuses. OSC directed USAGM to investigate. The agency hired an outside team of investigators. Their 145-page report took 18 months to complete. Its catalog of confirmed finds are:
- Four separate instances where Michael Pack, USAGM’s then-Chief Executive Officer (CEO), abused his authority;
- Two separate instances of gross mismanagement;
- One instance where CEO Pack caused gross waste of taxpayer funds; and
- That CEO Pack repeatedly “took actions that were inconsistent with the statutory mandate that he respect the networks’ journalistic independence and integrity….”
OSC separately and independently reviewed the report and determined that it “largely substantiated the deeply troubling conduct disclosed by the whistleblowers.” Special Counsel Kerner’s letter to the President commends the whistleblowers, “many of whom experienced retaliation for speaking out, for their steadfast commitment to the important mission of the agency to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy.”
Government Accountability Project’s David Z. Seide, who represents the whistleblowers, said:
This is a case study of good government in action. Because they are guaranteed editorial independence from the government, the Voice of America and its sibling networks are jewels of American democracy. Newly-installed political operatives wanted them to be pro-Trump and retaliated against anyone standing in their way. Many came to us for help. We in turn reported to OSC, the Congress and other federal oversight agencies. We are gratified that OSC now substantiates our clients’ allegations in breathtaking and startling detail.
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Contact: Andrew Harman, Government Accountability Project Communications Director
202.457.0034 x156
Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, Government Accountability Project’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, Government Accountability Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.