A senior Trump State Department official who exaggerated her resume and even faked a Time magazine cover with her face on it resigned her position on Monday.
Mina Chang came into the public spotlight earlier this month when NBC News revealed her questionable credentials.
‘Resigning is the only acceptable moral and ethical option for me at this time,’ Chang wrote in her resignation letter, which was obtained by Politico. Her resignation was effective immediately.
In her letter, Chang also blasted the culture at the State Department – echoing charges made by career diplomats in the impeachment hearings happening on Capitol Hill – and blasted officials for not defending her.
Chang, who served as the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, rebutted the charges she exaggerated her academic credentials and said she did not commission the faked Time cover.
Mina Chang resigned for her State Department position on Monday; she came into public eye earlier this month when NBC News reported on her exaggerated academic credentials and fake Time magazine cover
She claimed a friend of hers commissioned the artiest Pierre-Yves Daygot to create ‘a piece with her on a Time Magazine cover’ – action taken without telling Chang.
She then claimed ‘an enthusiastic fan online went one step further and used an app to make a fake magazine cover with Ms. Chang’s actual image superimposed on the cover which was subsequently circulated online.’
In her resignation letter, Chang blasted officials at the State Department.
‘In already difficult times, the Department of State is experiencing what I and many believe is the worst and most profound moral crisis confronting career professionals and political appointees in the Department’s history,’ Chang wrote. ‘Department morale is at its lowest, the professionalism and collegiality — once a hallmark of the U.S. diplomatic service — has all but disappeared.’
She added: ‘A character assassination based solely on innuendo was launched against me attacking my credentials and character. My superiors at the Department refused to defend me, stand up for the truth or allow me to answer the false charges against me.’
Chang was reported to have called herself an ‘alumna’ of Harvard Business School – despite not holding a degree from the Ivy League and only taking a seven-week course there in 2016.
Chang – who is the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations – also made up a role on a United Nations panel and said she ‘addressed the Republican and Democratic National Conventions’ at the same time documents showed she was actually at other events, according to a report by NBC
Chang’s Instagram page – where she boasts more than 40,000 followers – shows her posing with President Bill Clinton, pictured, former Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Buzz Aldrin
She also made up a role on a United Nations panel and said she ‘addressed the Republican and Democratic National Conventions’ at the same time documents showed she was actually at other events, NBC reports.
The 35-year-old from Dallas also hinted that she had spoken before Congress. But Chang was reported to have exaggerated or made up much of resume, raising questions about the administration’s vetting process.
And she also claimed to be a ‘graduate’ of a program at the Army War College. In reality the program in question was a four-day seminar on national security, sources told NBC News.
Her consideration for a new role in the State Department with a budget of more than $1 billion was withdrawn in September. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations had asked for more information on her charity and her professional experience.
Chang earned a six-figure salary at the department working to stop wars and violence in politically unstable countries. Her role would normally come with top secret security clearance.
Her Instagram page – where she boasts more than 40,000 followers – shows her posing with President Bill Clinton, former Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Buzz Aldrin.
She is also seen carrying out aid efforts and humanitarian work around the world.
George Mason University professor James Pfiffner worked in the department which carries out vetting. He told NBC: ‘It does seem that this administration has not been doing the same depth of vetting as previous administrations.’
He added: ‘The White House goes into very great detail — ‘Have you ever been divorced, have you ever been arrested’ Most administrations are very thorough about that.
‘I would expect that they would check all of the claims made in the bio, most of which would be relatively easy to check.
‘With the way Trump has fired high-level people by tweet, it’s not an encouraging thing to work for the government. But if you are not very qualified then it’s a great chance to get in there.’
As CEO of charity Linking the World Chang claimed to have ‘impacted’ thousands of people. But records show the small non profit had a budget of $300,000.
Chang said in 2015: ‘We have in-house K9 search and rescue teams, we have testified in front of hearing committees on Capitol Hill, we’ve done things like lectured at West Point, brief chiefs of staff at the Pentagon.’
It is also unclear exactly what her non profit did for relief efforts around the world and there is no record of her or the charity testifying before Congress, NBC reports.
Chang currently earns a six figure salary working to stop wars and violence in politically unstable countries. Her role would normally come with top secret security clearance
Chang is said to have exaggerated or made up much of resume, raising questions about the administration’s vetting. Her consideration for a new role with a budget of more than $1 billion was withdrawn in September. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations had asked for more information on her charity and her experience
Chang, pictured with actress Jennifer Garner, claims to have been on a UN panel on drones are disputed by those with knowledge of the single public roundtable
Its 2015 tax filing showed no overseas staff and no expenditures there of more than $10,000. The charities’ tax exempt status was taken away this year after they failed to submit annual filings. It continued to ask for donations online, despite that.
Tax expert Jane Searing said: ‘How are they accomplishing so much without spending at least $10,000 in those countries? That does not make sense to me.
‘They could be partnering with another organization, but then they should say that and not claim those accomplishments as their own.’
Chang even spoke publicly about her fake Time cover in a 2017 clip, telling an interviewer who congratulated her on the feat that it came about due to her work with drones.
She said: ‘I suppose I brought some attention to that.’ A Time spokesman said the front page is ‘not authentic’.
Her claims to have been on a UN panel on drones are disputed by those with knowledge of the single public roundtable.
Chang’s Instagram page shows her carrying out humanitarian work around the world
As CEO of charity Linking the World Chang claimed to have ‘impacted’ thousands of people. But records show the small non profit had a budget of $300,000
Mina Chang is said to have called herself an ‘alumna’ of Harvard Business School – despite not holding a degree from the Ivy League and only taking a seven-week course there in 2016
A business partner of Secretary of State Pompeo, Brian Bulatao, donated $5,500 to her fundraising efforts but she has no clear ties to Trump’s campaign.
A Harvard Business School spokesperson ‘alumni status’ can be given to those who attend some education programs.