"I Am Certain Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad Weaponized Newsroom to Kill Olivet University New York Extension Campus," Source Breaks Silence

(Photo : Dev Pragad photo by Ryan Lee, Facebook Screengrab of Naveed Jamali)
Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad (left) and Newsweek Editor-at-Large Naveed Jamali (right). Pragad has allegedly been using Newsweek newsroom to usurp control over the magazine and attack those who stand in his way.

What is Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad exactly up to? The recent Harvard certificate graduate, who claims to have saved Newsweek, is being accused of fraud and launching threats against Christian churches, including a Christian university, in "collusion" with Newsweek Editor Naveed Jamali and others, a source says, after weeks of silence following threats from the Newsweek CEO. The source, who is very close to the matter, requested anonymity due to fears of retaliation from Pragad, Jamali, and the Newsweek newsroom.

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Earlier this week, New York State Education Department (NYSED) announced its decision not to renew the Permission to Operate (PTO) of Olivet University's extension site in New York. Olivet University has been operating an extension site in New York for close to a decade with Permission to Operate status granted by the NYSED on November 5, 2012 and which was renewed several times since then. The existing PTO expired on June 30, and the NYSED has decided not to renew the PTO again.

"I am certain that Newsweek had played some role or influence, fully or partially, in the NYSED's decision not to renew the PTO," a source close to the matter said.

This reporter has confirmed that Newsweek had reached out to NYSED several times regarding Olivet University. The department itself has acknowledged that Newsweek had contacted them several times, and almost in exasperation, stated, "the Department has gotten multiple inquiries from Newsweek, most recently today [June 30]," according to an email this reporter has seen and verified.

It appears that Newsweek's targeting of Olivet University, and its aggressive contacting of governmental agencies, stems from the desire of Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad to unlawfully take over full control of the company. According to the source, Pragad had threatened in March that he would go to the media about "OU (Olivet University) raid by DHS" and allege "human trafficking" - threats aimed to help him further his business goals.

Towards the beginning of 2022, Pragad began believing that he was the "savior of the news" and because of it, he deserved to own the company outright. From there, he began to orchestrate the removal of company's founder and other shareholder, Johnathan Davis. Since he had no legal standing, he instead launched a series of threats, not only on Davis, but on Davis's church and a Christian university where his wife had served as president.

"If Olivet (the bible school), JD (the Newsweek shareholder) ... or others attack me then I'll go to media about Olivet raid by DHS for human trafficking etc to protect myself ... [and show] ... that they are trying to undermine Newsweek," Pragad messaged the source on March 2, 2022. This reporter has verified the message.

When asked if there was any action done from Davis or others that would have provoked a response the source explained, "nothing was done at all. Pragad escalated it all unilaterally."

Just weeks after this threat, on April 22, 2022, Newsweek published an inflammatory hit piece against Olivet University that alleges Olivet University is being investigated for human trafficking, among other things. Neither DHS, nor any other government agency, has officially confirmed what Newsweek has alleged.

"I was shocked to see Newsweek publish this article, and I was even more shocked to see this article being published as the main headlines on Newsweek site. The article could not be further from the truth. As soon as I saw the article, I was convinced that he (Pragad) had started weaponizing Newsweek newsroom to attack the university and carry out his threats, under the guise of 'protecting himself'," the source told this reporter.

The source said that he now understands clearly what Pragad's threats were all about.

"Subsequently, in no uncertain terms, he told me his demand - he said loud and clear that he wanted the 50 percent shares of Newsweek that is owned by the husband of the former president of the Christian university. If he got what he wanted, he said he would remain an 'ally' of Olivet. If not, the attacks would be launched."

NYSED's decision to allow Olivet University's permission to operate to expire in New York makes the source now even more convinced that Newsweek has played a role or influence in NYSED's decision.

"It is interesting to note that all the Newsweek articles were published soon after he (Pragad) had issued the threats and more interestingly, all the inflammatory articles related to Olivet University or related entities, were published as the main headlines of the Newsweek site. It is as if Newsweek, a national newspaper that should be focusing on more important and newsworthy pieces, desperately wanted the Olivet-related articles to gain attention. I am utterly disappointed to see how Newsweek has degraded into a tabloid, just as I am certain Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad has weaponized the newsroom to kill Olivet University in New York," the source said.

Editor's note: HNGN was registered by Davis in 2016, before he divested the publication in 2018. HNGN was an advertisement partner of Newsweek during 2017 and 2018, a period when Dev Pragad was the CEO of Newsweek. Ryan Lee is an acquaintance of Dev Pragad, and is a member of the same church that Davis attends. Pragad left the church just before Newsweek articles were published.