Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) discussed the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) undue influence over Voice of America (VOA) with Global Media Advisor Kari Lake in a recent House Foreign Affairs hearing.
Rep. Hamadeh began by pointing out that the China Daily newspaper had been distributed in Congress, which he helped ban, before asking, "Can you expand on what access did the Communist Chinese have within Voice of America?"
Lake replied that the Chinese had more control over VOA content than she does because of an "editorial firewall," pointing to annual meetings between Chinese embassy officials and VOA's Mandarin-language group "to allow embassy officials to voice their opinions about VOA content."
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"They even convinced the formal leadership during Biden's administration to cut short an interview. They wanted the whole thing canceled," Lake added.
More egregiously, she pointed to a recent example in which VOA leadership held meetings with Chinese embassy officials that "involved soliciting feedback on VOA programming."
"Congressman Hamadeh," Lake continued, "if VOA decided to run a hit piece on you and it was full of lies, and they called you and told you they were going to run that, and you wanted to say, 'Hey, let's clear this up because that is not true, and I suggest that you do not run that story,' they could sue you for a firewall violation."
Rep. Hamadeh called such undue influence "very dangerous" and referenced the legal battle against Lake's efforts to reform VOA, saying, "We know how corrupt some of these courts are, and I know that there is a big challenge right now trying to stop the authority that you have in trying to reform the VOA."
"Apparently, there are judges who want to run an agency rather than be judges," Lake cracked, adding, "And you know, my suggestion to those judges is that if they really want to run an agency, go to USAJobs.gov and apply for a job."
The Arizona Congressman agreed, replying, "We know many of them are politicians in black robes."
