Fri Mar 5, 2021, 07:05 AM

riversedge (60,810 posts)

Trump Appointee At VOA Parent Paid Law Firm Millions To Investigate His Own Staff

Source: npr

March 4, 2021 7:12 PM ET

Former U.S. Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack contracted with a private law firm to investigate his own staff, a task usually done by government specialists.
U.S. Agency for Global Media

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.

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.

The bill — footed by taxpayers — exceeded a million dollars in just the first few months of the contract. .....................

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2021/03/04/973765185/trump-appointee-at-voa-parent-paid-law-firm-millions-to-investigate-his-own-staf

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13 replies	Author	Time	Post
Trump Appointee At VOA Parent Paid Law Firm Millions To Investigate His Own Staff (Original post)	riversedge	Mar 5	OP
Thank goodness he is gone	NancyBlueINOklahoma	Mar 5	#1
among the things the US taxpayer was billed for: a review of the inspector general's report on ...	mahatmakanejeeves	Mar 5	#2
It's what Republicans do: They use our taxes against us and then whine about unity and fairness.	Ford_Prefect	Mar 5	#3
As well as whining about Democrats spending	PatSeg	Mar 5	#4
Most likely they donated a chunk of it to Trump campaign, That's another thing	Ford_Prefect	Mar 5	#6
You know,	PatSeg	Mar 5	#8
I've seen it done in corporate life too, although not to this level of excess.	Ford_Prefect	Mar 5	#9
I think you're right about their rights being violated	PatSeg	Mar 5	#11
Is there some way taxpayers can recover the money from Pack?	LastLiberal in PalmSprings	Mar 5	#5
I wondered the same. I have no idea.	riversedge	Mar 5	#7
We should at least try	KS Toronado	Mar 5	#10
Kick	bronxiteforever	Mar 5	#12
Mind-numbingly corrupt. I give 100-1 odds that the 'plans' that these executives were saying were	Hugh_Lebowski	Mar 6	#13

Response to riversedge (Original post)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 08:05 AM

NancyBlueINOklahoma (41,831 posts)

1. Thank goodness he is gone

Now DeJoy needs to go!

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Response to riversedge (Original post)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 08:31 AM

mahatmakanejeeves (35,807 posts)

2. among the things the US taxpayer was billed for: a review of the inspector general's report on ...

NeanderthalHat Retweeted

among the things the US taxpayer was billed for: a review of the inspector general’s report on the email controversy surrounding fmr Secretary of State
@HillaryClinton
- who had been out of office for 7.5+ yrs by that point

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Response to riversedge (Original post)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 09:04 AM

Ford_Prefect (4,426 posts)

3. It's what Republicans do: They use our taxes against us and then whine about unity and fairness.

Breaking the law is just part of the service...

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Response to Ford_Prefect (Reply #3)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 09:58 AM

PatSeg (37,539 posts)

4. As well as whining about Democrats spending

And what on earth did these investigators do that cost millions of dollars?

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Response to PatSeg (Reply #4)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 11:32 AM

Ford_Prefect (4,426 posts)

6. Most likely they donated a chunk of it to Trump campaign, That's another thing

they do: pay out tax money in no-bid contracts to launder it into GOP donations.

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Response to Ford_Prefect (Reply #6)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 11:53 AM

PatSeg (37,539 posts)

8. You know,

If it involves republicans and money, there is sure to be something dishonest or illegal about it.

The breakdown appears to be: McGuireWoods charged more than $320 per hour for 3,200 billable hours from August through October alone. That involved five partners, six associates, two lawyers of counsel, two staff attorneys, seven paralegals, three case assistants, 14 timekeepers, and 11 outsourced attorneys.

That is insane AND the primary thing they seemed to be looking for was anti-Trump bias among the agency's employees. That is so disturbing, as it is the sort of thing that is done in a dictatorship, something straight out of Putin's playbook.

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Response to PatSeg (Reply #8)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 12:07 PM

Ford_Prefect (4,426 posts)

9. I've seen it done in corporate life too, although not to this level of excess.

I find it fascinating that the level of billing seems to include what must be every member of the firm and 11 outsourced attorneys, along with the timekeepers. If the people working at VOA were under federal employment rules, a common condition for contractors in certain areas of government work, I suspect their rights were violated by this investigation.

Michael Pack gonna have some 'splainin' to do with a few federal judges, IMO.

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Response to Ford_Prefect (Reply #9)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 01:29 PM

PatSeg (37,539 posts)

11. I think you're right about their rights being violated

I smell some lawsuits on the horizon.

How stupid are these people, that they pull this kind of crap in broad daylight? I think they are so used to skirting and/or breaking the law in the private sector, that they think they can get away with it in government as well. Oops, their hubris is only exceeded by their stupidity.

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Response to riversedge (Original post)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 10:41 AM

LastLiberal in PalmSprings (11,291 posts)

5. Is there some way taxpayers can recover the money from Pack?

It seems he should be held personally responsible for the expenses.

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Response to LastLiberal in PalmSprings (Reply #5)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 11:40 AM

riversedge (60,810 posts)

7. I wondered the same. I have no idea.

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Response to riversedge (Reply #7)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 12:14 PM

KS Toronado (2,715 posts)

10. We should at least try

When I was in the service, a private emptied a fire extinguisher on July 4th for fun, he got an article 15
and was made to pay to have it refilled. If we can make the poorest government employee pay for a
mistake, surely we could go after the big fish.

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Response to riversedge (Original post)

Fri Mar 5, 2021, 02:38 PM

bronxiteforever (7,278 posts)

12. Kick

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Response to riversedge (Original post)

Sat Mar 6, 2021, 07:50 PM

Hugh_Lebowski (20,836 posts)

13. Mind-numbingly corrupt. I give 100-1 odds that the 'plans' that these executives were saying were

illegal ... were to use the VOA to spread partisan, pro-Donald Trump propaganda across the world.

In particular, to our Soldiers stationed overseas, who, if my understanding is correct ... tend to hear and/or listen to ... a lot of VOA content.

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