Julia Pierson Resigns As Secret Service Director Following White House Fence Jumper Incident
U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigned Wednesday afternoon following fallout over recent security breaches around the White House. The scrutiny came after a man jumped a White House fence on Sept. 19 and made it far into the Executive Mansion with a knife.
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said in a statement that "scrutiny by a distinguished panel of independent experts of the September 19 incident and related issues concerning the Secret Service is warranted," and that a panel will submit findings by Nov. 1.
Pierson started with the Secret Service in 1984 and became director in March of last year. She was also criticized over a 2011 incident in which a man fired shots that hit the White House. A Secret Service team took days to discover the shooting.
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