VOA Director Forced Aside In Drive To Embed Trump Loyalists Before Biden Era

The Trump appointee who runs the government's overseas broadcasters reassigned the head of the Voice of America as part of a broad effort to install supporters of the president before the Biden administration comes to power. US Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack is intending to name as VOA director Robert Reilly, an outspoken conservative ally who briefly served in the job under President George W. Bush nearly two decades ago. Pack informed acting director Elez Biberaj of his ouster at his routinely scheduled noon meeting. Biberaj, rather than resigning or retiring, will return to his prior job as head of the Eurasia desk, one of six large regions covered by the global network.