(RoyalPatriot.com )- Pete Williams of NBC News will leave the network after 29 years, according to NBC News president Noah Oppenheim.
Williams, 70, will step down at the end of July.
The news of Williams’ departure was first reported by the Washington Post on Thursday.
Williams has broken numerous stories throughout his career, the most notable of which is the one earlier this year announcing Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement.
For nearly three decades, Pete has been one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice. His reputation for accuracy, dependability and unrivaled expertise in the subjects he covers has defined his career.
Pete’s reporting has always been impeccable, from the most important Supreme Court cases of our time – such as marriage equality and the legal battles over the Affordable Care Act – to major breaking news events – such as 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombing, and so much more. His uncanny ability to deconstruct the most complex and rapidly evolving situations is remarkable.
Williams was the Pentagon spokesperson under Dick Cheney before joining NBC News. Williams worked as a reporter and news director in Wyoming before joining the Pentagon.
Williams was outed while at the Pentagon, despite the Defense Department’s ban on gay men serving in the military. Williams has a partner named David.
Oppenheim praised Williams’ personality in a memo to NBC News employees.
Oppenheimer said that working alongside Pete has been a daily masterclass in journalism for generations of NBC News reporters. But, he said, perhaps, more importantly, it’s been a masterclass in how to be a good colleague. Pete is unrivaled in decency, kindness, generosity, humor, wit, and compassion.
According to Oppenheim, Williams landed too many scoops, firsts, exclusives, and interviews to count. Williams was the first to report that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was retiring, and he has reportedly worked tirelessly on the Jan. 6 investigation.
“Stephen Breyer is leaving, so I think this is a good time for me to go, too,” Williams said on NBC’s morning editorial conference call.
