#Voice of America leaders sidelined over pro-Biden video and foreign hiring

President Trump’s new leader at the Voice of America and its parent organization made sweeping staff changes this week in response to a pro-Joe Biden video and a review of possible security violations in foreign worker hiring, The Post has learned.

Michael Pack, who took the helm of the US Agency for Global Media in June, previously fired a group of editorial content chiefs as he seeks to redirect the global news service formed during the Cold War.

Among the latest heads to roll is Tabinda Naeem, digital managing director of the VOA’s Urdu language service, who was placed on leave — as part of a process that could result in termination — in response to the pro-Biden video, sources told The Post.

Four contractors involved with the video were informed Wednesday that their contracts will be terminated.

Pack separately informed seven senior leaders of the USAGM in Washington — via courier service on Wednesday — that their security clearances were suspended and they are on leave over concerns about the hiring of foreign workers, sources told The Post.

USAGM General Counsel David Kligerman, Chief Financial Officer Grant Turner and executive director Oanh Tran are among the seven placed on leave and stripped of their clearances, sources told The Post.

Naeem, Kligerman, Turner and Tran did not immediately reply to emails from The Post seeking comment.

A spokesman for the USAGM told The Post: “We took action today to restore integrity to and respect for the rule of law in our work at USAGM. We will take additional steps to help return this agency to its glory days.”

The pro-Biden video, released last month, touched off a furore within the agency. Pack and his allies viewed it as validation of their belief the agency had strayed from its original mission of sharing US views with the world in a non-partisan manner.

In the campaign-style VOA Urdu clip, Biden appeals for Muslim votes. “Make no mistake people, 2020 is our year,” a voiceover says. “We can see clearly that America is fighting for its very soul… let’s do our part and join the largest Muslim voter mobilization in America.”  A jingle declares “brown power!” as Trump critics Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) strike power poses.

Separately, Pack reviewed the hiring of foreign citizens for positions at the US media agency.

Under prior management, the media organization hired about 1,500 people — many of them foreign citizens — to staff various language verticals without proper vetting, according to data from the agency.

Pack and allies say the hiring was done inappropriately, and that security clearances were issued despite allegedly insufficient vetting, including of Chinese citizens.

“Under previous USAGM leaders, the agency took fingerprints but neglected to submit them to the appropriate investigative authorities – or, in other cases, failed to take fingerprints altogether,” a source said of the review. “It used aliases and fake social security numbers. It did not require foreign travel and foreign contacts to be disclosed. And in many cases, USAGM hired individuals who left their background and security forms blank.”

VOA has been reviewing journalist work visas that expire on a case by case basis, instilling fear among reporters and producers in Washington.

Pack incurred intense backlash, including from Republicans in Congress, when he made a series of initial staff changes in June, including dismissing the heads of divisions including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.