CORRECTED, May 22 | The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a party-line 12-10 vote Thursday, advanced the nomination of Michael Pack to lead the government’s international broadcasting operations after an exceptionally heated exchange between the panel’s Republicans and Democrats about breaking committee tradition by moving forward with a nominee who is under an active criminal investigation.
President Donald Trump has made confirming Pack, who was first nominated nearly two years ago to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, a priority. Trump is seen as especially wanting an ally in place to make editorial changes at Voice of America, whose coverage of China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic he has criticized.
The vote came after the committee agreed to move into a closed session for roughly 20 minutes to discuss Democrats’ concerns with the nominee. Last week, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia disclosed to ranking member Bob Menendez of New Jersey that it was actively investigating Pack for alleged self-dealing and self-enrichment. Continue reading.