Pete Williams.Photo: William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty
Longtime NBC News correspondent Pete Williams — who has spent nearly three decades covering the Supreme Court and the US Justice Department — says he will retire from the network in July.
According to theTodayshow, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim announced the news via anemail to employees, calling Williams “quite simply one of the most respected, trusted, and steadfast names in news.”
Oppenheim added: “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.”
Williams, 70, has covered a number of notable events in American history, from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.
Today notes that, on a conference call with colleagues Thursday, Williams noted that his retirement echoed that of someone he has covered for years: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, whoannounced his own retirement in January.
“Stephen Breyer is leaving, so I think this is a good time for me to go, too,” Williams said on the call, perToday.
He added: “We’ve got 35 Supreme Court decisions to go through, so there’s still a lot of work to be done and probably some surprises from the Justice Department.”
Williams made headlines in 2020, when he grew emotional as Supreme Court JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg’s casket arrived at the U.S. Capitol for her memorial.
“It really brings together the three loves of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life: her family, the law and opera,” Williams said at the time while crying, adding that it’s been a “tough day here.”
A Wyoming native, Williams began his career in local news and radio before moving to Capitol Hill, where he worked as press secretary and legislative assistant for then Rep. Dick Cheney, who would later go on to serve as vice president. Williams later followed Cheney to the Defense Department, where he served as assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
He came to NBC News in 1993 and will remain on staff until July, allowing him to cover likely a number of big stories out of theSupreme Courtand Justice Department.
MSNBC journalist Andrea Mitchell called him “incomparable,” adding he is “simply superb, as a human being, as a journalist, as a friend and as a colleague.”
Former DOJ spokesman Matthew Miller wrote abouthis experience working with Williams, who he called “the GOAT.”
source: people.com
