[h=3]By JARED A. FAVOLE[/h]WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama picked the first female director to lead the Secret Service, a move that comes after the agency last year punished agents for their alleged involvement with prostitutes in Colombia.
Mr. Obama on Tuesday named Julia Pierson as the new director, according to a White House news release. Ms. Pierson doesn't need Senate confirmation and is succeeding Mark Sullivan, who retired in February. She previously served as chief of staff for Mr. Sullivan.
The agency has been under scrutiny since agents allegedly brought prostitutes back to their hotel rooms last year in Cartagena, Colombia, during preparations for Mr. Obama's arrival there for an economic summit. Mr. Sullivan defended the agency before Congress and said the incident, which led to the resignations of eight agents, didn't signal a deeper cultural problem. He apologized for the agents' behavior, and an investigation found no breach of security for Mr. Obama's visit.
The incident came to light after an agent got into a payment dispute with one of the women at the hotel.
The Secret Service is tasked with protecting the president and other top U.S. officials, as well as investigating financial crimes.
Ms. Pierson's appointment as director will help Mr. Obama combat questions about diversity in his administration.
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Mr. Obama on Tuesday named Julia Pierson as the new director, according to a White House news release. Ms. Pierson doesn't need Senate confirmation and is succeeding Mark Sullivan, who retired in February. She previously served as chief of staff for Mr. Sullivan.
The agency has been under scrutiny since agents allegedly brought prostitutes back to their hotel rooms last year in Cartagena, Colombia, during preparations for Mr. Obama's arrival there for an economic summit. Mr. Sullivan defended the agency before Congress and said the incident, which led to the resignations of eight agents, didn't signal a deeper cultural problem. He apologized for the agents' behavior, and an investigation found no breach of security for Mr. Obama's visit.
The incident came to light after an agent got into a payment dispute with one of the women at the hotel.
The Secret Service is tasked with protecting the president and other top U.S. officials, as well as investigating financial crimes.
Ms. Pierson's appointment as director will help Mr. Obama combat questions about diversity in his administration.
• Invalid email address.
• You can't enter more than 20 emails.
• Seperate multiple addresses with Commas.
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