Pete Williams, whose nearly three decades career with NBC News had included dogged coverage of the Supreme Court and the Justice Department, plans to retire from the network in July.
Noah Oppenheim, the president of the network, announced the longtime correspondent’s plans to depart to staffers in a memo sent on Thursday, NBC News reported.
“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,” wrote the NBC News president in the message to employees of the network.
Before joining NBC in 1993, the dogged reporter worked as a press secretary for then Rep Dick Cheney and following that he had a stint as the spokesperson at the Pentagon during George H W Bush’s administration.
In his 29 years working with the network, he’s been the face behind some of the news outlet’s coverage of some of the biggest news stories coming out of the Supreme Court.
Most recently, Mr Williams was the first one to report on 26 January that Supreme Court Justice Stephen G Breyer would retire at the end of the current term.
His soon-to-be former boss praised him in his memo for being a reliable on-camera presence and for routinely delivering deep inside sourcing on major developments from within the Supreme Court and the Justice Department.
“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,” Mr Oppenheim wrote in his letter to staff. “His ability to break down the most complex and fast-developing situations is uncanny.”
The network did not disclose in the memo what Mr Williams plans to pursue in the next stage of his career.
