The Associated Press reports Tuesday that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned, following her disastrous testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, and following the agency’s lack of accountability during the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
The pressure had mounted on Cheatle, with an impeachment charge filed against her on Monday by a representatives and with congressional members from both parties demanding her resignation or firing.
According to AP, she wrote her resignation to the staff in an email:
“I take full responsibility for the security lapse. In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”
Update: A statement was just released by the White House and attributed to President Joe Biden, who has not been seen for six days:
“Jill and I are grateful to Director Kim Cheatle for her decades of public service. She has selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career in the United States Secret Service. We especially thank her for answering the call to lead the Secret Service during our Administration and we are grateful for her service to our family.
“As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service.
“The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions. We all know what happened that day can never happen again. As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new Director soon.”