A former West Point faculty member and a source familiar with the matter said the program was quickly scrapped, after it became apparent the nonprofit was not doing much work and the interns were sitting in a mostly empty office. Chang did not respond to a request for comment. I have personally attended that program and can confirm that graduation is how we were advised to describe completion of the program. The magazine published a short snippet about Changs latest news,saying,She wont be invited back.. It turns out that Chang does not hold a degree from Harvard and only attended a seven-week course at the institution in 2016. A review of her nonprofit's IRS returns from 2014 and 2015 shows no information about operating or building schools, and offers no details about staff devoted to managing aid projects on the ground in those countries. Mina Chang, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary to the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, has made misleading claims about her education at Harvard Business. Those included a former intern and a former senior development adviser for Linking the World, Michael Baker. Our belief is that these factors cause nations to weaken all the way down to the community level, which subsequently increases their likelihood of conflict and security challenges. By 2014, she had set up Linking the World under the umbrella of a local foundation in Dallas, according to the foundation. The allegations against Chang, 35, first appeared in an NBC News report on November 12. Posted by Rick Allen onFriday, June 22, 2018, Posted by Jake Harriman onSunday, January 21, 2018. Mina Chang proved anyone can come to the U.S. and create an "American" identity by simply putting a bunch of shit on social media that's sent to a new generation of reporters and government officials who think shit on social media people create about themselves is real. Time magazine spokesperson Kristin Matzen said the cover is "not authentic.". In 2015, Chang partnered with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to host cadets for internships at her nonprofit in Dallas. She is based in Washington. She apparently is also a civilian graduate of the United States Army War College. "Most administrations are very thorough about that. Her resume was a shining list of stellar credentials, even including a Harvard diploma. We are proud and privileged for Akin's support on a pro-bono basis. The interviewer says Chang brought the Time cover to the interview as an example of her work. A deputy assistant secretary usually has a top secret security clearance. But before her humanitarian and government career, she was a singer. #FakeNews pic.twitter.com/LpEbwxH0xA, Rob Richardson (@RobforOHIO) November 12, 2019, She presents an image of a globetrotting humanitarian with extensive experience in international security and foreign aid. The nature of our work requires that our analytical and planning processes must encompass a careful evaluation of how governmentlocal, state, federal or internationalcan, should and will impact our desired objectives. In a Feb. 8, 2018 letter to the White House, McCaul gave Chang "the strongest recommendation" to serve in a senior leadership position at the State Department, either in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations or in the Bureau of Counterterrorism. Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was also in attendance. State Department staffer got job with embellished resume, fake Time magazine cover, Democratic and Republican national conventions, who once worked in the government's Office of Personnel Management, an unaccredited Christian school with volunteer teachers, 'These people couldnt even get an internship on Capitol Hill. A senior State Department official in President Donald Trumps administration reportedly landed the role after falsifying numerous aspects of her professional and educational background, including creating a fake Time magazine cover with her face on it. Chang touted her membership in the Young Entrepreneurs Club and the Forbes Nonprofit Council. The Humanitarian UAV Network UAViators does not mention Chang or Linking the World on a list of advisers. [emailprotected]. Documents and videos prove she had spoken at separate eventsin Philadelphia and Cleveland during the same time as the conventions. Before receiving the letter of recommendation, Chang was spotted at numerous events, including the 2018 Aspen Security Forum, with McCaul's staffer. Link copied Nov. 18, 2019, 10:50 PM UTC . After obtaining our data and analyzing it, we go a step further than a traditional think tank by actively engaging and working with partners on the ground to effectuate long lasting change. "[7][3], Mina Chang is married to Jake Harriman. I said, 'Pull the interns.'". Her sisters names are Abigail and Sony Chang. At a 2018 awards dinner of defense contractors in Washington, Chang made a point of introducing herself to an official who she eventually would succeed at the State Department as a deputy assistant secretary, said a source who attended the event said. Several policies we are currently focused on promoting are the following: - Winning the hearts and minds of those around the world most at risk to becoming victims of violent extremism. Mina Chang is a deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations (US Department of State) A senior State Department 's impressive resume appears. President Trump was found to have fake copies of himself on the cover of Time hanging in at least five of his golf clubs. University Attended: Harvard Law School. This is the world we so desperately need to counteract. I give out a name to the press, and they vet for me. ", As to Chang's job history, he said, "I would expect that they would check all of the claims made in the bio, most of which would be relatively easy to check.". He founded Nuru International. Susan Posnick and other people who came into contact with Chang over the years said they had lingering suspicions about how she promoted and presented herself, and wondered when things would catch up with her. Chang, the State Department and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. To secure her job at the State Department in April, Chang leveraged social connections to senior officials who could help open the doors to the administration, including Brian Bulatao, a close friend and deputy to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; a State Department official and former defense contractor who she succeeded as deputy assistant secretary, Pete Marocco; and a congressional staffer for key GOP lawmaker Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, multiple sources said. At the time, Chang had multiple websites promoting her work. [2][3], Chang, a Korean-American,[4] claims to be the child of two Salvation Army officers and allegedly spent her childhood in Atlanta. By first helping others recognize why a stable and strong America is vital for global security, we will be able to make the case for a proactive national security, defense policy, and foreign policy rather than the more traditional reactive approaches of the past. "They could be partnering with another organization, but then they should say that and not claim those accomplishments as their own.". Laura Strickler is a senior investigative producer and reporter for NBC News. Ari Sen is a freelance journalist and former investigative unit intern at NBC News currently studying at UC Berkeleys Graduate School of Journalism. She would have been responsible for a budget of more than $1 billion. In her State Department post, Chang, 35, from Dallas, helps oversee efforts to prevent conflicts from erupting in politically unstable countries. Needless to say, all of this is raising a lot of questions about how exactly the Trump administration goes about vetting job candidates. During a live interviewwith Mary Sit, on a public access/University channel, the piece was used without prior permission or approval from Mina or Linking the World. "We have operated schools, we have built schools in places like Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Kenya.". So happy to be with Mina Trinity Chang and Trinity. Mina loves her position at State and decided to withdraw herself from the process to focus on stabilization operations. "[7] However, she did attend a university in Hawaii called the University of the Nations, an unaccredited Christian educational institution that specializes in International Development or cross-cultural missions. "But you're part of the vetting process, you know? After this, an enthusiastic fan online took one step further and used an app to make a fake magazine cover with Minas actual image superimposed on the cover andit wassubsequentlycirculatedonline. Marocco, who served in the Marine Corps, is now at the Pentagon as senior official overseeing Africa affairs. After crafting a public image as a humanitarian "thought leader" with help from paid media and public relations consultants, she ingratiated herself with prominent Republicans in Dallas and former military officers, former colleagues said. But when Harvard was asked if Chang had attended the university, a spokesperson told NBC News . This . For 2015, the organization listed spending just $44,645 on salaries but more than $60,000 on "advertising and promotion" and $50,298 on travel. Photo blurred by NBC News. She is not the first White House official to put their face on a fake Time magazine cover. Michelle Muscatello Leaving WPRI: Where Is the Rhode Island Meteorologist Going? She was raised in inner-city Atlanta, which shaped her beliefs about the importance of education. Facebook banner picture for defense contractor Automotive Management Services(AMS) featuring Mina Chang. In a 2014 video she described her charity to a room full of Texas college students. Harriman is a graduate of the U.S. Anyone that clicked the donate button received a personalized message, that clearly outlined our position, and the IRS regulations about donations under those circumstances, such that donors/supporters were fully informed. Mina Chang Net Worth Estimated Net Worth of her is $600k USD as of 2019. Her information from the State Department mentions she is an "alumna" of Harvard Business School. Mina Khalil Visiting Fellow. (Video: The Washington Post) Article It is one of the more minor and yet more telling scandals of a scandal-plagued administration: NBC News reports that Mina Chang, the deputy assistant. Heres a glimpse of her approach to solving the worlds most pressing issues. Linking the World CEO, Mina Chang, was invited as the keynote speaker for the Women's Leadership Series at the Brown Foundation Performing Arts Theatre. [5], In January 2017, Chang spoke at the Asia Society Texas Center's Women's Leadership Series as a featured guest. "The White House goes into very great detail 'Have you ever been divorced, have you ever been arrested?'" A spokesman for Chang said Bulatao did not "have any part in Ms. Chang's appointment within the State Department." Chang further claimed to have addressed presidential national conventions in 2016, but that was also found to be false. Mina Chang, 35, was appointed the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations in April. Join the Observer community and help support Chang had no apparent ties to President Donald Trump's political campaign, but Brian Bulatao, a former West Point classmate and business partner of Secretary of State Pompeo, was invited to fundraising events for her charity, according to Ian Dailey, the former chief of staff of her nonprofit. Shame on you NBC for not requiring your reporters to do basic research. ", In the Trump administration, rapid turnover and uneven vetting instead creates opportunities for people who might not otherwise be considered, said Pfiffner. It. Ian Dailey, former chief of staff of Linking the World, defended how the organization has presented itself publicly. Briefings on the Hill are not verifiable. Mina Chang resigned Monday, six days after an NBC News report about her resume inflation and hours after NBC asked her about newly discovered false claims. [13][18], On November 18, 2019, Chang resigned from her role at the United States Department of State. The fake Time cover is attributed to her job as the CEO of the nonprofit Linking the World, which seems to be relevant to her job in the State Department. its this, right here. WASHINGTON Mina Chang figured out how to work the levers in Dallas and in the nation's capital, making connections with key figures and cultivating an online image, until her overblown credentials and claims crumbled under scrutiny. Attorney at Law offices of Mina Chang Huntington Beach . An international K-pop singer! She also befriended a key staffer on the House Homeland Security Committee, leading to a recommendation letter from McCaul, according to a former staffer and a congressional source. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Like all admired leaders, she anticipates that problems in the world will never cease, they will only change; and its how you respond to them that will determine your fate. A potential political appointee to a State Department post is vetted by the department, including an elaborate questionnaire, before the White House ever screens the candidate. This discovery raises questions about her qualifications to work in the U.S. State Departments Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations. "How are they accomplishing so much without spending at least $10,000 in those countries? I will no longer participate in this grievous misrepresentation, where the truth is discarded for spin. Prior to joining PLS, he was a Samuel I. Golieb Fellow in Legal History at NYU School of Law from 2019-2020. Mina Chang and Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, on June 6, 2018. Shame on you every outlet that picked up this story without doing your own research and merely surmised the erroneous positions of the original. A 24-year-old former Trump campaign volunteer, Taylor Weyeneth, rose to a senior job in the White House drug policy office without any relevant professional experience. The eldest of three daughters born to Salvation Army officers, Chang has Asian roots. Chang has denied having any role in creating the magazine cover and her spokesperson said an "enthusiastic fan" created the picture and circulated it online. Legal Guides; Lawyer Referral Service; Problem with a Lawyer; Attorney Profile. U.S. State Department official and former, Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas I thank whatever gods may be. 4:00AM. Chang's nomination to the USAID job, which would have required Senate confirmation, was withdrawn on Sept. 9 without public explanation, after the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations asked her for more documents and details about her nonprofit organization and her work experience. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch. Moreover, she has also been accused of inflating her work with the organization.