WASHINGTON—Michael Pack, whose time overseeing Voice of America has been surrounded by controversy and criticism, officially resigned on Jan. 20 at the request of the Biden administration, NBC News reports.
Pack was appointed the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media by former President Donald Trump in June. The appointment was immediately controversial, as critics claimed that his actions were designed to turn VOA and other networks under his purview more into mouthpieces for the Trump administration than as the independent journalists promoting democracy that their missions dictate.
During his time leading the agency, Pack fired senior executives, refused to renew visas for many foreign journalists and had his actions questioned by a federal judge and Congress.
“I serve at the pleasure of not one particular president, but the office of the president itself,” Pack wrote to staffers in an email obtained by NBC News. “The new administration has requested my resignation, and that is why I have tendered it as of 2 p.m. today [Jan. 20].”
NBC News has more on Pack’s resignation.
