Trump allies dismissed at VOA as Biden administration names new leadership

[DonViejo]

Trump appointees had pushed to fire employees even after Biden was sworn in as president.

Jan. 22, 2021, 8:07 AM EST
By Dan De Luce

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration moved quickly on Thursday to name new leadership at Voice of America and other U.S.-funded media, replacing a Trump ally with a news editor he had recently demoted.

In its first full day in office, the Biden administration dismissed the director of Voice of America, Robert Reilly, and his deputy, Elizabeth Robbins, and replaced them with experienced journalists with long careers at VOA and other government-funded networks, according to a statement from the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees the media outlets.

Reilly was replaced by Yolanda Lopez, a news editor who will serve as acting director at VOA. Reilly had just days ago reassigned Lopez after one of the journalists under her supervision shouted questions at then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a Jan. 11 event at Voice of America headquarters.

Pompeo had given a speech and sat for a question and answer session afterward with Reilly, but reporters were not given a chance to pose questions. When one VOA reporter, White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara, tried to ask questions, Reilly shouted at her, according to a recent protest letter from VOA journalists. Hours later, Widakuswara was kicked off the White House beat by Reilly.

more
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-allies-dismissed-voa-biden-administration-names-new-leadership-n1255244

[machoneman]

1. Great news and a great start. Now, many more Trumpists need to be beheaded from their agencies.

[musclecar6]

2. Yep

I’m sure there will be tons more booted out. Joe and Kamala are quite busy I’m sure, delousing the federal gov’t of all the trash the national disgrace left behind.