Taylor Greene Calls Govt. Agency ‘National Security Threat,’ Launches Probe
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, serving as the chairwoman of the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee, announced on Thursday that her panel will conduct an investigation into alleged cases of “gross negligence” and “rampant cronyism” at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), a taxpayer-funded media organization intended to remain neutral.
This investigation follows President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, which aims to dismantle several federal agencies, including the USAGM, which manages both Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
“The non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law,” states the executive order.
The Trump administration has alleged that these dismantled agencies were responsible for wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. Greene further announced that she would push for a separate investigation due to what she described as a “direct threat to national security” originating from within USAGM.
In a letter addressed to Kari Lake, the Trump administration’s senior advisor overseeing USAGM operations, Greene pointed to findings from the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which, over the past decade, uncovered “gross negligence and intentional defiance of national security protocols, resulting in unfettered and unauthorized access of sensitive information by federal employees,” according to Fox News.
Greene referenced a 2020 investigation led by McGuireWoods, an independent law firm, which reportedly validated testimony from whistleblowers who had highlighted severe corruption and mismanagement at USAGM.
Greene further claimed that while the Trump administration terminated individuals implicated in the mismanagement, “nearly all” of them were rehired under President Joe Biden’s administration, thereby enabling them to continue engaging in their prior activities “with zero consequences.”
According to the Fox News report, Greene has requested access to documents detailing all grant agreements issued through the Open Technology Fund, any settlement agreements involving individuals named in the McGuireWoods report, and any additional information or communication that Kari Lake considers relevant.
“For years, USAGM engaged in rampant cronyism, issuing corrupt contracts to friends and family through the Open Technology Fund (OTF), while senior officials bypassed security protocols, mishandled sensitive information, and obstructed investigations,” Greene’s office told Fox News.
The Georgia Republican also told the outlet that rehiring those responsible for the agency’s previous mismanagement represents an “insult to taxpayers” and poses a “direct threat to national security.”
“We will not allow the former Biden regime to cover up illegal activity and shield bad actors from accountability,” she declared.
On Friday, Voice of America (VOA), which is federally funded, instructed its journalists to stop using content from major news agencies, including the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, and Agence France-Presse, following the government’s decision to terminate contracts with these wire services.
The cancellations occurred as tensions grew between the White House and traditional media outlets—a situation that intensified when the Trump administration recently barred AP from accessing certain parts of the White House, including the Oval Office.
Kari Lake, on Thursday, announced the termination of the wire service contracts, explaining that the move was estimated to save taxpayers around $53 million, as reported by the AP.
“We should not be paying outside news organizations to tell us what the news is,” Lake stated on X (formerly Twitter). “With a nearly billion-dollar budget, we should be producing news ourselves. And if that’s not possible, the American taxpayer should demand to know why.”
Lake further remarked that “from top-to-bottom, this agency is a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer—a national security risk for this nation—and irretrievably broken.” While acknowledging that some employees within the agency are talented and dedicated public servants, she emphasized that they are “the exception rather than the rule.”