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US Secret Service Director Resigns

U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson prepares to testify to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, Sept. 30, 2014. Pierson resigned a day later. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.

The head of the security force guarding the presidentof the United States resigned this week. SecretService Director Julia Pierson offered her resignationon Wednesday, a day after she faced a United Statescongressional committee.

Committee members spoke with her at length aboutan incident two weeks ago at the White House. They wanted to know how aman was able to jump over a fence and get deep inside the presidentialhome. President Barack Obama and his family were not in the building at the time.

The Secret Service has said the suspect, Omar Gonzalez, was arrestedjust inside the main entrance to the White House. Officials at first said he was unarmed. But it was later learned he was carrying a knife.

Omar Gonzalez formerly served in the U.S. military. He is now 42-years oldand homeless, having no permanent place to live.

Last month, a judge ordered him held without bail, barring any possibility ofrelease before action on his case. At the court hearing, government lawyerssaid that investigators found ammunition, two hatchets and a long knifeinside his vehicle. They also said he was stopped, but not arrested, inAugust, after he walked past the White House with a hatchet. A monthearlier, he was arrested in Virginia after state police found weapons in hiscar.

On Tuesday, members of Congress sharply questioned Julia Pierson. Sheadmitted that the Secret Service had made missteps.

“It’s clear that our security plan was not properly executed. This isunacceptable, and I take full responsibility, and I will make sure that it doesnot happen again.”

She was also asked about another incident. In 2011, gunfire hit the WhiteHouse. But it took days for the Secret Service to discover that the buildinghad been hit.

Several lawmakers blamed Ms. Pierson for sending mixed signals aboutwhether agents could use deadly force if they felt the president is in danger.Some said the height of the White House fence was not the problem. Theynoted that several levels of security failed to stop the fence-jumper until he had crossed the grounds, opened the door, and run through the main floorof the White House.

Hours after the committee hearing, news media began reporting aboutanother security breach. It involved an armed security guard with a criminalrecord. He reportedly stood just centimeters from President Obama lastmonth. The incident took place during the president’s visit to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.

A presidential spokesman told reporters that Mr. Obama learned of theincident shortly before it was made public. Spokesman Josh Earnest saidthe president continues to have complete trust in the Secret Service. Hesaid Mr. Obama accepted Ms. Pierson’s resignation because he agreedwith her judgment that it was in the best interest of the agency.

“They reached that conclusion because of the recent and accumulatingreports about the performance of the agency, and that is what led thepresident to believe that new leadership is required.”

The press secretary said President Obama spoke by telephone to Ms.Pierson and expressed thanks for her 30 years with the Secret Service.

A short time later, Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson announced herreplacement. He is Joseph Clancy, a former Secret Service special agent. In a statement, Mr. Johnson noted how Secret Service agents protected thepresident and 140 visiting heads of state without incident last weekend.They were in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Mr.Johnson added that, “no other protection service in the world could havedone this.”

And that’s In The News from VOA Learning English.

I’m Christopher Cruise.

This story was reported by VOA correspondent Aru Pande in Washington. George Grow wrote it for Learning English. Christopher Cruise produced and edited it.

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