USAGM Investigation Raises Concerns About Vetting, Hiring Practices

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has been investigating the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) for years, alleging mismanagement and accusing the agency of impeding its probe. The investigation has focused on Setareh Sieg, a VOA journalist who was suspended under the Trump administration but restored after Biden took office.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has been conducting a yearslong investigation into the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), raising alarms about the agency's vetting processes and hiring practices.

Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, has expressed concern about the robustness of USAGM's employee screening procedures, particularly in light of Setareh Sieg's case. Sieg was suspended as head of VOA-Persia under the Trump administration for allegedly falsifying her higher education credentials. However, she was reinstated after President Biden took office, prompting questions about the agency's handling of the matter.

The committee's investigation has uncovered allegations that Sieg obtained an establishment degree, not a state doctorate, from the University of Paris. Communications between the university and the French Embassy in the U.S. support this claim.

Furthermore, the investigation has raised concerns about Sieg's treatment of employees, including giving variable treatment to one employee and hiring that employee's brother for a senior position. Whistleblower accounts also suggest that Sieg may have mishandled government funds.

The committee report highlights the potential implications of USAGM's failure to adequately vet Sieg. McCaul emphasized the importance of addressing this issue to prevent similar abuses in the future.

The investigation has also faced criticism from USAGM CEO Kate Bennett, who argues that it is draining agency resources and constraining its ability to fulfill its mission. However, the GOP report counters that the investigation is necessary to identify any systemic failures within the agency.

The committee's probe has led to USAGM reopening its investigation into Sieg, but the agency has only issued her a letter of reprimand. The report criticizes this leniency, arguing that it sends a message of impunity.

Sieg's lawyer, Mark Zaid, has also pushed back on the committee's findings, accusing it of a "vendetta" against his client. He claims that the report is incomplete, misinterpreted, and defamatory.

USAGM has refuted the committee's allegations of impropriety, stating that its investigation was not politicized or mismanaged. However, the report raises questions about the agency's vetting and hiring processes, as well as its accountability mechanisms.