Two Homeland Security officials forced to resign by White House



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Among them was a senior official in the cyber branch of DHS, who resigned amid a national security reshuffle by the Trump administration. Bryan Ware served as Deputy Director of Cyber ​​Security at DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

DHS Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Valerie Boyd has also resigned under pressure from the White House, officials told CNN.

DHS, CISA and the White House declined to comment on the resignations.

The great American general stands firm amid Pentagon turmoil

Ware’s resignation letter, seen by CNN, is addressed to President Donald Trump and indicates that his resignation is effective Friday. In it, he writes that it has been an honor to serve, highlighting his work on election security and the Covid-19 response.

But his farewell letter to staff indicates that he did not want to resign. He says he leaves “with a lot of sadness” and that “it is too soon”. He then listed their accomplishments during his tenure. “We protected election day from foreign interference. Boom!” he wrote.

The resignations come following sweeping changes at the top of the Defense Department’s civilian leadership structure that saw several of the Pentagon’s top civilian officials replaced by suspected loyalists to the president. The changes began with Trump’s dismissal of Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday and senior Pentagon officials told CNN they were alarmed and concerned about what could happen next.

Boyd tendered his resignation Thursday to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, writing that it is “with sadness that I resign, effective November 13, 2020”.

Trump administration removes top defense officials, installs loyalists, raising Pentagon alarm bells

“I have been convinced that people of character should support the institution of the presidency and work within it to inform and influence political decisions that reflect popular government well. This belief has been tested repeatedly in recent years, and it is my fervent prayer that I made the best possible choices. I wish you and our colleagues in the government the strength to act with honor in the months to come, “she wrote.

The leadership of the department has been unstable throughout Trump’s presidency. DHS – the third largest federal department – has had five secretaries, only two of which have been confirmed by the Senate: John Kelly and Kirstjen Nielsen.

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