US secret service chief quits amid White House security breaches

Julia Pierson resigned just 18 months after Barack Obama selected her to take over a law enforcement agency that already had been tarnished by agent misconduct.

WASHINGTON /// Embattled US secret service director Julia Pierson, the first woman to lead the agency in charge of protecting the US president, resigned amid criticism over a series of security lapses.

Ms Pierson stepped down just 18 months after Barack Obama selected her to take over a law enforcement agency that already had been tarnished by agent misconduct.

“I think it’s in the best interest of the secret service and the American public if I step down,” Ms Pierson said on Wednesday. “Congress has lost confidence in my ability to run the agency. The media has made it clear that this is what they expected.

“I can be pretty stoic about it, but not really,” she said. “It’s painful to leave as the agency is reeling from a significant security breach.”

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Mr Obama doesn’t have a timetable for choosing a replacement. The president agreed with Ms Pierson that “new leadership of that agency was required”.

Joseph Clancy, a retired special agent in charge of the presidential protective division of the agency, has been appointed as interim director.

Ms Pierson’s departure follows a swell of criticism by legislators from both parties.

The furore stemmed from revelations that an intruder, identified as Omar Gonzalez, 42, an army veteran, managed to get deep inside the White House after scaling the fence on the north side of the building on September 19 shortly after Mr Obama had taken off in a helicopter.

While the service initially said Mr Gonzalez was unarmed and was apprehended after entering the doors of the North Portico, court documents showed he had a folding knife in his pocket and Ms Pierson acknowledged at a congressional hearing that he was able to cross two large halls and get across the East Room before being apprehended.

Mr Gonzalez has pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal entry to a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon.

“I’m disappointed that I didn’t have an opportunity to implement structural and operational changes in the agency,” Ms Pierson said. “I had a vision for the future. It’s 31 years of service and a firm understanding of the organisation.”

The breaking point may have come from revelations of a September 16 incident in which the secret service unwittingly allowed an armed private security contractor with a criminal record to ride in a lift with Mr Obama. Agents discovered only after Mr Obama left the area that the contractor was carrying a firearm and had a record.

* Bloomberg