The agency overseeing Voice of America has reinstated five whistleblowers who were all fired on the same day last year by Trump officials.

Chao went on to describe each employee as going “to great lengths to try to defend the firewall,” designed to block agency staff from interfering with the news judgment and editorial independence of Voice of America.

All five had protested management decisions while at USAGM, including interference in Voice of America operations, and filed a whistleblower complaint.

The agency had a rocky few years under the Trump administration and Pack's leadership, with critics accusing him of politicizing the agency and carrying out acts of retribution against employees he perceived as having an anti-Trump bias.

Pack faced complaints from more than 30 whistleblowers during his tenure.

"Significant problems have befallen the agency since CEO Michael Pack arrived and I have deep concerns about the trajectory USAGM is on," Turner, one of the whistleblowers, said in September testimony at an oversight hearing held by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

A January speech from then-Secretary of State Mike PompeoMike PompeoCanada lawmakers to vote on labeling China's treatment of Uighurs as genocide Biden administration open to restarting nuclear talks with Iran Langevin hopeful new Armed Services panel will shine new spotlight on cybersecurity MORE brought front and center the pressure the agency had faced during the Trump administration. .