The Office of Special Counsel says it "found a substantial likelihood of wrongdoing" at the US Agency for Global Media, led by a controversial Trump political appointee.
According to a letter dated Wednesday and obtained by CNN, the watchdog agency has directed US Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack to order an investigation into the allegations of wrongdoing at the taxpayer-funded agency, whose stated mission "is to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy," and report back to the Office of Special Counsel.
The letter from the independent watchdog agency, signed by an attorney from its Retaliation & Disclosure Unit, came in response to a complaint from six senior officials at the US Agency for Global Media alleging that Pack had engaged in abuse of authority and gross mismanagement. The Office of Special Counsel's primary mission is to protect "federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially reprisal for whistleblowing."
The US Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Middle East Broadcasting Networks and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, has been plagued by controversy since Pack, a Trump appointee, took the helm. His actions have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.