Michael Pack said he was taking the step consistent with his authority as the new CEO of the overall agency.
WASHINGTON — The new chief of U.S.-funded international broadcasting on Wednesday fired the heads of at least three outlets he oversees and replaced their boards with allies, in a move likely to raise fears that he intends to turn the Voice of America and its sister outlets into Trump administration propaganda machines.
U.S. Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack informed those he dismissed in email notices sent late Wednesday just hours after he had sought to play down those concerns in an email to staff saying he is committed to ensuring the independence of the broadcasters who are charged with delivering independent news and information to audiences around the world.
Two congressional aides said that among those removed from their positions were the head of Radio Free Asia, Bay Fang, the head of Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, Jamie Fly, and the head of the Middle East Broadcasting Network, Alberto Fernandez. The director and deputy director of the Voice of America, Amanda Bennett and Sandy Sugawara, had resigned from their positions on Monday.
Pack, a conservative filmmaker and one-time associate of President Donald Trump’s former political adviser Steve Bannon, said in a notices to those fired that he was taking the step consistent with his authority as the new CEO of the overall agency. It gave no reason for his decisions.
He added in the notices that he expected the agency’s new board of directors, chaired by himself, to approve the decision. In a separate messages, Pack also announced that he had removed all the current members of the broadcasters’ respective boards and installed his own team, with officials from various agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget and Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The firings came after Pack had tried to allay mounting concerns about his intentions at the agency in an email to staff in which he said he is “committed to maintaining the agency’s independence and adhering to VOA’s charter and the principles.”
The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, denounced the firings as an “egregious breach” of the agency’s mission. Menendez had led an unsuccessful fight to block or at least delay Pack’s confirmation.
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The new chief of U.S.-funded international broadcasting on Wednesday fired the heads of at least three outlets he oversees and replaced their boards with allies https://t.co/pCkog6QLav
— POLITICO (@politico) June 18, 2020
Newly installed Trump appointee wastes little time instituting political purge of yet another part of government traditionally independent of politics, firing chiefs of four news outlets and disbanding the bipartisan board overseeing them. @ewong https://t.co/kwyQMLv83P
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) June 18, 2020
As I've been saying this week, the story of Trump appointing a Steve Bannon associate, Michael Pack, to the parent agency of Voice of America is a big one that will only get bigger. And more dangerous. This is the Breitbartization of U.S. government media.https://t.co/bADTCv4jtc
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 18, 2020
Wednesday Night Massacre: Trump’s new flunky atop the US Agency for Global Media fired the heads of Middle East Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe & the Open Technology Fund.
No doubt Trump aims to build his own global propaganda apparatus.https://t.co/wiJNMncrZM
— Nick Knudsen 🇺🇸 (@DemWrite) June 18, 2020
“I thought to quote for this article from the many messages I’ve been receiving from Michael Pack’s employees. But I’ve noted Pack and comrades have banned staff from all outside communication. There are even reports of trash cans being sifted through…” https://t.co/QKa3fYZ5mA
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 19, 2020
An important thread from a good man and a dedicated public servant.
I've always been proud to be @JamieMFly's friend, and this week more than ever. He stands for America’s ideals in a hostile world. No wonder he was summarily fired. https://t.co/LsHvdGosXz
— Adam White (@adamjwhitedc) June 21, 2020
BREAKING: Bipartisan Senate leadership rarely gets together on anything. But they have gotten together today to object to Trump’s attempt to take over Voice of America & turn it into a propaganda mill.
Here’s their letter, & the lawsuit to stop this outrage is also proceeding. pic.twitter.com/sMasuUSPUg
— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) July 1, 2020
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