Embattled Secret Service Director Julia Pierson Stands Down

The head of the US Secret Service, Julia Pierson, has resigned following a security lapse that allowed a man carrying a knife to make it into the White House.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced that Ms Pierson had offered her resignation and he had accepted.

"I salute her 30 years of distinguished service to the Secret Service and the nation," his statement said.

He appointed Joseph Clancy, formerly special agent in charge of the presidential protective division of the Secret Service, as interim acting director.

Gonzalez was arrested two months ago by state troopers

The Homeland Security Secretary added: "I have also determined that scrutiny by a distinguished panel of independent experts of the September 19 incident and related issues conceing the Secret Service is warranted."

White House press secretary Josh Eaest said President Barack Obama believed Ms Pierson's resignation was in the best interests of the agency.

The president had phoned Ms Pierson to express his appreciation for her service, he added.

She exits a day after she was rebuked by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over how Iraq War veteran Omar Gonzalez was able to run amok in the presidential mansion.

The Obamas were not home at the time of the intrusion.

Ms Pierson said in her testimony that she took full responsibility for what she called an "unacceptable" incident and acknowledged that the "security plan was not executed properly".

"It is self-evident mistakes were made," she said, promising lawmakers that it would never happen again.

"How on earth did it happen?" committee chairman Representative Darrell Issa asked.

Ms Pierson also told the House Oversight and Govement Reform Committee there have been six White House fence-jumpers in 2014 alone.

The September 19 intrusion was the latest in a string of embarrassing incidents for the Secret Service - most notably in 2012, when 13 agents were implicated in a prostitution scandal in Colombia.

The agency was also criticised for taking several days to realise that a lone gunman had fired multiple shots at the White House in 2011.

From Skynews