EXCLUSIVE: House GOP firebrand drives DOGE committee investigation of government media agency corruption

Greene told Fox News Digital that abuses at the U.S. Agency for Global Media - USAGM - pose a "direct threat to national security."  

Founded in 1999, the agency has been primarily staffed by journalists from mainstream media outlets, with former CEOs coming from agencies such as MSNBC and NPR.

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital addressed to Lake, Greene said that over the past decade, the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have uncovered "gross negligence and intentional defiance of national security protocols, resulting in unfettered and unauthorized access of sensitive information by federal employees."

Greene pointed to a further "full-scale investigation" launched in 2020 by independent law firm McGuireWoods that confirmed whistleblower testimonies about severe mismanagement and corruption within the agency.

According to Greene, abuses included unlawfully granting J-1 visas and awarding millions of dollars in contracts through the Open Technology Fund to friends and individuals with whom there were conflicts of interest.

Greene said that other "egregious abuses" uncovered by the McGuireWoods investigation included senior officials at the agency erasing entire laptop hard drives before turning them in to investigators.  

The congresswoman is demanding access to information regarding all grant agreements awarded through the Open Technology Fund, all settlement agreements for individuals implicated in the McGuireWoods report and any additional communications or information that Lake deems relevant.

"For years, USAGM engaged in rampant cronyism, issuing corrupt contracts to friends and family through the Open Technology Fund (OTF), while senior officials bypassed security protocols, mishandled sensitive information, and obstructed investigations," a statement by Greene's office said.

Greene told Fox News Digital that she considers the Biden administration's decision to rehire the officials responsible for the abuse not only an "insult to taxpayers" but also a "direct threat to national security."

"We will not allow the former Biden regime to cover up illegal activity and shield bad actors from accountability," she said.

Fox News Digital politics reporter Emma Colton contributed to this report.