Trump Media Agency Boss Explains Non-Appearance to House Panel

[left-of-center2012]

Source: Bloomberg

September 23, 2020, 8:04 PM MDT
The chief of the agency that oversees the Voice of America and other media organizations told the chairman of a congressional committee that subpoenaed him that he couldn’t appear because of a scheduling conflict. Michael Pack, who earlier this year took charge of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, had angered both Democrats and Republicans on the Foreign Affairs Committee when he defied the subpoena to testify about changes at the agency.

In a letter to the panel’s chairman, Eliot Engel, on Wednesday, Pack said he was “disappointed to receive your subpoena” and “eager to testify.”
“As we have repeatedly explained to the committee, USAGM has become preoccupied with a series of pressing and complex matters ...” He added that he “could not provide complete information concerning the pressing internal matters.” He was originally scheduled to appear voluntarily, and the committee issued the subpoena last week after he withdrew.

Pack’s withdrawal also drew a strong statement from the committee’s ranking Republican, Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, who called for Pack to testify. In a sharply divided Congress, the bipartisan response was unusual, particularly with regard to pressing a Trump nominee to appear before a committee controlled by Democrats.

McCaul said that since being confirmed by the Senate in June, Pack had placed critical national security programs “in jeopardy” and that he “needs to come before this committee and explain those actions.” In June, Pack dismissed the heads of four news organizations, including Radio Free Europe ...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-24/media-agency-cites-security-concerns-in-defying-house-subpoena?srnd=premium

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-24/media-agency-cites-security-concerns-in-defying-house-subpoena?srnd=premium

[mdbl]

1. BS as usual

hold him in contempt of Congress. He should have nothing more pressing in his position.

[beachbumbob]

2. setting up the precedent of NOT enforcing subpoenas nearly 2 years ago gives us this

now. NO trump admin will appear if they don;t feel like, whats the repercussion? NOTHING, at most a strongly worded letter

[DFW]

3. That would be like Hillary refusing to testify to Republicans in the House due to a hair appointment

I'm sure the Republicans would have been THOROUGHLY understanding of that one. RIGHT?

[PatSeg]

4. Excellent analogy

Treating a congressional subpoena with such disdain and contempt is outrageous.