Longtime NBC News Correspondent Pete Williams Leaving This Summer
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Longtime NBC News correspondent Pete Williams, who has covered the Supreme Court and Department of Justice for the network since 1993, will depart the company in July, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim told staff Thursday.
“From the most consequential Supreme Court cases of our time — like marriage equality and the legal battles over the Affordable Care Act — to major breaking news events, like 9/11, the Boston Marathon bombing, and so much more, Pete’s reporting has always been ironclad,” Oppenheim wrote. “His ability to break down the most complex and fast-developing situations is uncanny.”
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Williams, 70, had to earn his stripes at NBC, having worked in politics for years before joining the network (Williams had worked at a Wyoming TV station before entering the political world). Williams worked as a press aide for then Rep. Dick Cheney, and later became the press secretary for the Department of Defense in George H.W. Bush’s administration, when Cheney was Defense Secretary.
But he quickly garnered the respect of his colleagues at NBC thanks to his ability to break news, and to explain difficult stories in ways that were accessible to viewers.
“In short, for generations of NBC News reporters, working alongside Pete has been a daily masterclass in journalism,” Oppenheim added. “But perhaps more importantly, it has been a masterclass in what it means to be a good colleague. Pete’s decency, kindness, and generosity are unmatched. For those that know Pete well, it’s his warmth, humor, wit, and compassion that will be missed most.”
You can read Oppenheim’s note, below.
Dear Colleagues,
For the last 29 years, Pete Williams has set the bar for all of us. He is quite simply one of the most respected, trusted, and steadfast names in news. And, so, today it is with decidedly mixed emotions that I share with you his plans to sign off from NBC News for the final time later this summer.
Pete has been one of the nation’s foremost authorities covering the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice for nearly three decades. His career has been defined by his reputation for accuracy, reliability, and unmatched expertise in the subjects he covers.
From the most consequential Supreme Court cases of our time – like marriage equality and the legal battles over the Affordable Care Act – to major breaking news events – like 9/11, the Boston Marathon bombing, and so much more – Pete’s reporting has always been ironclad. His ability to break down the most complex and fast-developing situations is uncanny.
There are too many scoops, firsts, exclusives, and interviews to count: Pete breaking the news of Justice Breyer’s retirement; his reporting on the January 6th investigation; his poignant remarks on the steps of the U.S. Capitol for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s funeral; and his interviews with FBI Director Christopher Wray and former Attorney General Bill Barr.
In short, for generations of NBC News reporters, working alongside Pete has been a daily masterclass in journalism. But perhaps more importantly, it has been a masterclass in what it means to be a good colleague. Pete’s decency, kindness, and generosity are unmatched. For those that know Pete well, it’s his warmth, humor, wit, and compassion that will be missed most.
Pete has agreed to stay on with us through July, which allows for countless more opportunities to celebrate him.
So, please join me in congratulating Pete on an extraordinary career and on this much-deserved next chapter – a chapter I hope is filled with more jazz, drums, theater, and many trips to London and home to Wyoming with David.
As they say, “In Pete We Trust.”
Noah
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