It reflects, and has always reflected, that Linking the World operates an in-country volunteer and donation model, that requires minimal U.S. staff and no local offices or employees. Chang's biography says she was part of a panel on drones in humanitarian relief efforts convened by the U.N. "Well, we started using drone technology in disaster response and so that was when the whole talk of how is technology being used to save lives in disaster response scenarios, I suppose I brought some attention to that," Chang said. Moreover, she has also been accused of inflating her work with the organization. Chang does not cite any undergraduate degree in her biography, but her LinkedIn account mentions the University of the Nations, an unaccredited Christian school with volunteer teachers that says it has 600 locations "on all continents.". It. Our aim is to ensure lessons are being learned, innovation is prioritized, and the true reality of violent extremist situations is being reported rather than political rhetoric and individual agendas. Why only to 2015? She is based in Washington. Her bio from 2013 read: "Her desire to alleviate suffering and inspire hope and joy around the world motivated her to retire from the music industry in order to work full time with disaster response teams and Linking the World.". Similarly, the program at the . Chang also had a tendency to claim or imply credit for work done by others, former colleagues said. 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. Our 2015, 990-tax filing indicated $10,000 of overseas spending. But the program she attended was a four-day seminar on national security, according to the college. Tax filings for her nonprofit show an organization with a budget of less than $300,000, and few staff, despite her statements about the vast scope of her group's work. She is not the first White House official to put their face on a fake Time magazine cover. Chang, who resigned after NBC News revealed holes in her rsum, had ties to two State Department officials and a staffer for Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas. Mina Chang Assistant United States Attorney at United States Attorneys' Offices Henderson, Nevada, United States 240 followers 238 connections Join to connect United States Attorneys' Offices. [8], She completed a seven-week program through Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program (AMP). "How are they accomplishing so much without spending at least $10,000 in those countries? Despite losing its charitable status, the organization continued to solicit donations on its website. Mina Chang, the U.S. State Department's deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, is learning this lesson the hard way. Simply, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has been rather busy with other activities and all nominees were subject to extensive delays. Dan De Luceis a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. Mina Malik | Harvard Law School New York, NY 10036-6518; Peer Reviews. Chang's appointment is the latest administration hire to come under scrutiny since President Donald Trump entered office. NBC News was unable to find any record of her or her organization ever testifying before Congress. Also Read:Douglas Emhoff Wiki, Facts To Know About Kamala Harris Husband. Details about Chang's nonprofit and how it operated remain unclear partly because at least three former contacts told NBC News they could not speak due to nondisclosure agreements they were required to sign. But when Harvard was asked if Chang had attended the university, a spokesperson told NBC News . State Department staffer resigns after allegations she - POLITICO We take real scenarios based on concrete data to address the root drivers of instability and to effectuate action. Shame on you every outlet that picked up this story without doing your own research and merely surmised the erroneous positions of the original. Chang, however, had links to businesses outside of her NGO, according to her charity's website and Texas public records. Chris Riva Leaving FOX19 NOW: Where Is the Cincinnati Anchor Going? U.S. State Department official and former Dallas media darling Mina Chang had a bad day Monday. "To not file with the IRS for three years is really being a scofflaw," Eve Borenstein, a lawyer with Harmon Curran law firm and a prominent expert on nonprofit tax law, told NBC News. Chang eyed as next US envoy to Philippines | Philstar.com As an example of the support Akin Gump provides to Linking the World, the firm petitioned the FAA for our Section 333 Exemption, which qualifies us to fly UAVs in domestic airspace in support of disaster operations. She was writing songs for other artists before she was signed to a label and recording albums in both English and Korean. She served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of State's Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations from April 2019 until her resignation on November 18, 2019, after NBC News reported that she had falsified her resume with multiple false or misleading claims . Akin Gump is consistently ranked as one of the top government relations practices in Washington, D.C.both by publications and peersthe public law and policy practice draws on the considerable governmental and bipartisan political experience of their lawyers and advocacy professionals, including former Members of Congress, congressional staff and other lawyers with considerable experience in government service, many of whom also engage in outside political activities. Emailus. Well, heres a perfect example every article mentions that Mina is married she is not if you cant get that basic fact right, why would we expect them to get anything else right? Mina Chang, Trump official from Dallas, resigns after report that she The organization then chose to cease development of the effort.. Tell me about this cover and how this came to be?" The organization's tax-exempt status was revoked by the IRS earlier this year. State Department staffer got job with embellished resume, fake Time magazine cover. Mina Chang in State Department Embellished Education History 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. On her path to Washington, Chang pushed some tenuous connections too far. The next installment in the series will feature Cherie Blair, the former First Lady of the United Kingdom. She stands 5 feet 8 Inch tall and weighs around 64KG. She attended a seven-week course there in 2016, according to the university. [21][22] In response to the interviewer's question: "Here you are on Time magazine, congratulations! According to the university, Chang attended a seven-week course in 2016, and does not hold a degree from the institution. For my unconquerable soul. W.E. Her Instagram account, which has 44,000 followers, was filled with pictures of her with big names in national security and politics like former CIA director and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, retired Gen. David Petraeus and former President George W. Bush's adviser Karl Rove. Mou Abdou, Founder and Host of 33voices, Cover for the Observer 'People of the Year' Issue, In the third People Issue for the Observer Magazine, Linking the World CEO Mina Chang was named as one of the 'People of the Year.' In addition to her event production company, she publicly claimed a connection to Vissero Partners LLC, a company that sought investments from wealthy foreign nationals who invest at least $250,000 in U.S.-based projects in exchange for visas through the federal EB-5 program. Mina Chang faked a Time cover and exaggerated her rsum, NBC Briefings on the Hill are not verifiable. But it's unclear precisely what contributions her organization made to relief efforts. According to a wild report from NBC News,State Department deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations Mina Chang, 35, lied about graduating from Harvard and severely embellished her work experience as the CEO of a nonprofit organization called Linking the World. [15][16], On November 12, 2019, NBC News reported that Chang had "embellished her rsum with misleading claims about her professional background" prior to joining the United States Department of State. Chang claimed that she is "an alumna of the Harvard Business School" who has "addressed . She claimed to be an alumna of Harvard Business School, which the school verified as correct, through the completion of a non-degree certificate course. I have personally attended that program and can confirm that graduation is how we were advised to describe completion of the program. Graduating from the U.S. Army War College, National Security Seminar. . The administration announced an intent to nominate her in late 2018. "It's just insane she got as far as she did. So apparently if you want a job with the Trump administration you make Fake News literally. At no time has Mina claimed to have a degree from SMU. 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. Like Mina Chang , who made a fake cover of herself on time magazine. University Attended: Harvard Law School. Mina Changs husband, Jake Harriman, is a graduate of the U.S. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and New York Law School and previously worked in financial securities compliance and Civil Rights employment law. When Chang was mentioned as a possible candidate for ambassador to the Philippines in local media in Manila, newspapers wrote incorrectly that she was a "Harvard graduate." 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. The questions were not seeking to profile Mina or the organization, as any objective reporter would have done. In 2015, her charity received tax exempt status from the IRS, according to public records. ISLN: 1000251692. Linking the World was the first international NGO to receive such an exemption. After Ratcliffe's nomination flamed out, Trump defended his administration's screening of job candidates, saying the news media helped the White House filter nominees. I am currently working with the IRS to have our status reinstated. It . "The White House goes into very great detail 'Have you ever been divorced, have you ever been arrested?'" Most recently, Mina served as the Executive Director of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, the largest police oversight agency in the nation which investigates allegations of police misconduct. Just before lunch, NBC News posted a triple-bylined investigative piece outlining how Chang. [2][17][18] The NBC News report also states that she claimed to have spoken at both Democratic and Republican national conventions, and that her resume implies she had testified before Congress. Laura Strickler is a senior investigative producer and reporter for NBC News. Biography. Similarly, the Army War College program she attended was a four-day seminar that does not have any graduates. Both institutions confirmed this. Dailey, Changs former colleague at the nonprofit, said the group did operate in 40 countries over two decades, including when the organization was registered in South Korea. Chang further claimed to have addressed presidential national conventions in 2016, but that was also found to be false. 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. A profile in June 2014 by the Dallas Observer reports Chang, who is described as once having "a flourishing career as an international pop singer," is the child of two Salvation Army officers. As CEO of the NGO, Linking the World, her work expands the globe to alleviate suffering, inspire hope and to break the cycle of poverty thats impacting almost half the worlds population - or over three billion people. Harvard Business School spokesperson Mark Cautela said the school grants "alumni status" to anyone who attends certain executive education programs, even without having earned a degree there. The State Department and its Diplomatic Security Service, which helps vet appointees, did not respond to requests for comment. He said he has resubmitted the forms and expects the "administrative issue" to be resolved soon. Needless to say, all of this is raising a lot of questions about how exactly the Trump administration goes about vetting job candidates. Even a cursory online search would provide evidence of our activities since 2001, and I have summarized 2001 2015 here: https://www.linkingtheworld.org/ltw-brief-history-2001-2015. Mina obtained her position at the State Department on her own merit, at no time was Brian Bulatao part of her nomination / recruitment / review process. Charlotte Greco, Program/Office Manager. "Most administrations are very thorough about that. Government watchdogs, former officials and members of Congress have accused the White House of failing to thoroughly vet appointees and nominees for senior-level offices. Chang has a daughter named Trinity from her previous marriage.[24]. Have a tip we should know? When the 2010 Haiti earthquake struck, she decided against renewing her contract with her label and joined Linking the World as president and CEO. We have at least one geotagged photograph of Linking the Worlds participation on that Panel, along with its working documents. (Photo by Chance Yeh/WireImage). "Here you are on Time magazine, congratulations! Chang also paid to be a member of Ellevate, a women's networking group, which helped Chang place articles promoting herself and her charity in Forbes and the Huffington Post, according to its marketing coordinator, Nazli Tamer. But her focus soon shifted to presenting herself as a passionate humanitarian. 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. His bio states that he left the Marines and enrolled at Stanford. Dan De Luceis a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. Mina Chang circa 2009 when she was pursuing a career as a recording artist. In that document the organization was asked, "Did the organization maintain an office, employees or agents outside the United States?" Research | Development | Advocacy Data-driven humanitarian initiatives in the context of national security. By: Caroline John - Published: November 13, 2019 at 5:43 am | Last Updated: 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. Pfiffner said. 3 credit (s) M, T 10:15am - 11:45am. While not a paid position, the fellowship provided her a credible platform and a title that could be listed on her rsum and open more doors. His Ph.D. dissertation entitled "A Society's Crucible: Recasting the Criminal Defendant in Modern Egypt, 1820-1920" explores the . In May 2013, Chang was diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent chemotherapy for a year. Mina did not invent a role on a U.N. panel. Our research efforts blend together traditional approaches of a think tank with modern and future-leaning tools of a high-tech business intelligence firm. Her prior experience includes roles in university admissions, event coordination, office management, staffing, and non-profit . Another NDA was signed by a freelance journalist who was planning to accompany Chang on a 2015 trip to Afghanistan that was sponsored by the defense contractor AMS. She stepped down from the nonprofit role when she joined the State Department. To be clear, we have operated in 43 countries, built schools, medical clinics, and countless other activities serving thousands upon thousands of those most in need. To suggest that we didnt file is incorrect. Marocco endorsed her for the job and McCaul wrote her a recommendation letter. The program permits people who have finished the program to call themselves alumni, and creates an opportunity for them to tap into the Harvard alumni network. She often asked those who performed work for her to sign nondisclosure agreements, the former associates said. We pilot new technologies, testing their practicalities, and seek to identify the 'unintended consequences' that are rife in our industry," Dailey told NBC News. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Brought some attention to it, indeed. To provide some context, State Department officials are not allowed to respond to reporters, regardless of the content of the stories being published. Chang's trips to conflict areas in Afghanistan and Iraq were paid for by the defense contractor AMS. McCaul, through a spokesperson, said he now has a different perspective on Chang's qualifications. When asked about her comments, her former chief of staff, Ian Dailey, said the charity had one dog "onboarded" but the dog was "diagnosed with seizures" and "retired." The cover is "not authentic," said a spokesperson for the magazine. Chang was previously married. She says she "addressed" both the Democratic and Republican national conventions in 2016, but videos and documents show she instead spoke at separate events held in Philadelphia and Cleveland during the same time periods. One year Bulatao bid on an auction item that resulted in a $5,500 donation to the group, Dailey said. The U.S. Military Academy's public affairs office declined to comment. At the time, Chang had multiple websites promoting her work. Our goal with research is simple: if we can identify those who are most at risk, we can share this expert knowledge and employ development and advocacy efforts to help win the hearts and minds of these communities before radical groups are formed. We are stronger, we are more determined, and we are forever dedicated to serve others and to make this world safer, from all threats, foreign and domestic. 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.