Tag: Michael Pack

Trump official spent millions of taxpayer dollars on legal team to dig up dirt on his own staff: report

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On Thursday, NPR reported that Michael Pack, the appointee of former President Donald Trump to lead the parent agency of Voice of America, spent millions on a team of lawyers hunting for dirt on his own employees.

“Last summer, an appointee of former President Donald Trump was irate because he could not simply fire top executives who had warned him that some of his plans might be illegal,” reported David Folkenflik. “Michael Pack, who was CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media that oversees Voice of America, in August suspended those top executives. He also immediately ordered up an investigation to determine what wrongdoing the executives might have committed.”

“Instead of turning to inspectors general or civil servants to investigate, Pack personally signed a no-bid contract to hire a high-profile law firm with strong Republican ties,” said the report. “The bill — footed by taxpayers — exceeded a million dollars in just the first few months of the contract.” Continue reading.

McConnell sets vote for Trump media agency pick, who has ties to Steve Bannon

Michael Pack is also under active investigation by D.C. attorney general for alleged self-dealing, self-enrichment

Corrected, 6:20 p.m. | The Senate on Thursday will consider the nomination of conservative filmmaker Michael Pack, who has collaborated with former Breitbart News head Steve Bannon and is being actively investigated by the attorney general for the District of Columbia for alleged self-dealing and self-enrichment.

Pack, whose nomination has been pending for several years, was tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, formerly known as the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The agency has an annual budget of roughly $1 billion and includes U.S. taxpayer-funded news outlets Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a May party-line 12-10 vote, advanced Pack’s nomination after a heated exchange between the panel’s Republicans and Democrats about breaking committee tradition by considering a nominee who is under an active criminal investigation. Continue reading.