负责保护总统安全的美国特勤局局长朱莉娅·皮尔森星期三突然辞职，约瑟夫.克兰西出任特勤局代理局长。
皮尔森辞职是因为特勤局接连失职，造成总统安全保护的重大疏漏。近两个星期前， 一名男子攀越白宫围栏，躲过保安，持刀闯入白宫。
白宫发言人欧内斯特星期三说: “最近和之前的一些报道对特情局的表现提出质疑。总统认为有必要更换特勤局负责人。”
闯入白宫的男子冈萨雷斯星期三在华盛顿的一家法院出庭对所受指控表示认罪。
前特勤局局长皮尔森星期三就特勤局失职问题接受国会质询。她说，“显然我们的安全计划没有适当实施， 这是不能接受的， 我对此承担全部责任。 我一定会确保此类事件不再发生。”
虽然皮尔森保证要整顿特情局，但这不足以挽救她的工作。听证会后又有报道说， 奥巴马总统九月到亚特兰大视察时，一名未获准接近总统的私人安保公司的持枪警卫居然跟总统同乘一个电梯。
美国国土安全部部长星期三任命现已退休，曾负责保护总统安全的特工约瑟夫.克兰西为特勤局代理局长。
The U.S. Secret Service has a new acting director, following the abrupt resignation of the agency's director, after two major security lapses that could have put the president in danger.
Julia Pierson resigned on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after a man jumped a fence, eluded security, and entered the White House carrying a knife.
Josh Earnest, White House Press Secretary said: "Over the last several days, we've seen recent and accumulating reports raising questions about the performance of the agency. And the president concluded that new leadership of that agency was required."
The man who breached White House security (Omar Gonzalez) pleaded guilty to related charges in Washington court Wednesday.
The day before, Pierson testified before a congressional committee about the security failure. She said: "It's clear that our security plan was not properly executed. This is unacceptable and I take full responsibility. And I will make sure that is does not happen again."
Pierson's promise to fix the service's shortcomings was not enough to save her job, after it was also revealed President Obama unknowingly shared an elevator in Atlanta last month with armed guard not authorized to be around him
The Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson has named retired special agent, Joseph Clancy, as acting Secret Service Director, in charge of presidential protection.
