U.S. government observers accused six senior officials of the government’s independent media agency from cheating last year when the head of a government agency appointed by former President Donald Trump protested that he was trying to politicize the press. Released.

A US State Department inspector general recently concluded that Trump administration officials, including Michael Pack, had illegally retaliated against six people. Five of them returned under President Joe Biden and six retired.

At the time, Puck was the Chief Executive Officer of the US Global Media Agency, which oversees five networks: Voice of America, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Middle East Broadcasting Network, and Cuban Broadcasting Station.

Legally protected

When the Inspector General expressed concern about Puck’s actions, he concluded that six officials were protected under US law as whistleblowers. In August last year, Puck suspended security clearance, a prerequisite for their work, and took them off. He said his actions were aimed at restoring “respect for the rule of law in our work.”

Lawyers from five officials, Robert Litt and Mark Zaid, said the inspector general had determined that Puck’s actions were “unjustified.”

“These official findings make up the complete evidence of these six officials and fully reveal their records,” the lawyer said in a statement.

File-The US Broadcasting Board logo for Voice of America, held in Washington, November 22, 2019.

Puck’s controversial six-month term as USAGM’s chief ended on January 20, when Biden received a request to resign within hours of his inauguration.

Keilu Chao, acting chief of USAGM appointed by Biden, includes Grant Turner, Chief Financial Officer, Shawn Powers, Chief Strategy Officer, David Kligerman, Corporate Lawyer, Matt Walsh, Deputy Director of Operations, and Oanh Tran, Executive Director. I immediately reappointed the person. The sixth official, Marie Lennon, chose to retire.

David Seide, a lawyer for the Government Accountability Project, a whistleblower protection organization that represented Turner in complaints about Puck, said Puck and his Trump-appointed ally “somehow broke the law” during his tenure at USAGM. , Abusing authorities, endangering public health and safety, and terribly mismanagement of institutions. “

Visa renewal refused

The Government Accountability Project is by not signing proforma documents to renew J-1 visas to enter the United States, as it has been routinely done for years by leaders of previous institutions. He accused Puck of ignoring the dangers to foreign journalists working at VOA in the United States.

Watchdog Group said one Chinese VOA journalist was persecuted by the Chinese government, threatening his life. The State Department approved his visa, the Watchdog Group said, but Puck raised questions to critics of his behavior and refused to sign off: “Why non-US citizens think important American thoughts. Will you be taken to the United States to report on the system? “Will you return to the rest of the world?”

VOA employs dozens of foreign journalists, many of whom are hired for their hometown expertise and knowledge, as well as for the news topics that foreign readers, listeners and viewers most want to know.

Puck, a conservative filmmaker, was nominated by Trump to lead USAGM in mid-2018. Faced with opposition from Democrats and some Republicans, his nomination declined in the Senate for two years, but won Senate confirmation in June 2020 and soon became a Senate leader.