OPM Director Archuleta resigns

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Katherine Archuleta, Director of U.S. Office of Personnel and Management, testifies at a hearing about changing the security clearance process in light of the Navy Yard shooting before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. (Mike Morones/Staff)

ID=29967665Less than 24 hours after telling reporters she would not be stepping down as the head of the Office of Personnel Management, agency director Katherine Archuleta tendered her resignation July 10.

“Today I informed the OPM workforce that I am stepping down as the leader of this remarkable agency and the remarkable people who work for it,” Archuleta said in an email to staff Friday, stating she submitted her resignation to President Barack Obama that morning, which he accepted.

More: Archuleta says she won’t resign in wake of OPM breach

Archuleta did not directly mention the massive breaches of OPM’s network that led to the exposure of personal information on more than 22 million Americans, most of them current, former or prospective federal employees. However, she alluded to the crisis in her farewell.

After releasing the full scope of the massive OPM hack, Director Katherine Archuleta announced her resignation Friday, less than 24 hours after saying she would be staying on.

“I conveyed to the president that I believe it is best for me to step aside and allow new leadership to step in, enabling the agency to move beyond the current challenges and allowing the employees at OPM to continue their important work,” she wrote.

Thursday, while stating that she did not intend to resign, Archuleta also expressed her support for the rest of the staff, including agency CIO Donna Seymour. She reiterated her support for the staff in her email Friday.

More: OPM breach affected 22 million Americans

“I am honored to have led this organization and to have served alongside the incredible team at OPM,” Archuleta wrote. “I have complete confidence in their ability to continue to fulfill OPM’s important mission of recruiting, retaining and honoring a world-class workforce to serve the American people.”

Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Beth Cobert will be stepping in as acting director until an official replacement is named.

OPM Data Breach: What You Need to Know

The resignation comes after legislators turned up the pressure on Archuleta to step down, including members of her own party.

“This is the right move for the agency and all those affected by the breach,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said after hearing the news. “The focus now needs to be on fixing the problem and protecting those impacted.”

About 

Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.