Michele Leonhart plans to step down amid waning support from President Obama and congressional lawmakers. In a statement, Attorney General Eric Holder said Leonhart would part with the agency in mid-May.
DAE Administrator Michele Leonhart in 2012.
Cliff Owen / AP
Attorney General Eric Holder issued a statement Tuesday saying Michele M. Leonhart, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, had informed him of her decision to step stop in mid-May.
Leonhart's resignation comes amid reports that she fallen out of favor with the White House over policy conflicts and her handling of a scandal involving agents and sex parties abroad.
Leonhart has been at the helm of the DEA for five years, becoming the first woman to hold the post after rising through the agency's ranks over the course of three decades. But she has seen her standing with the Obama administration erode significantly over her insistence that marijuana is a dangerous drug that should remain illegal — despite the president's open support for a legalization movement sweeping across a growing number of states.
She was also reportedly critical of Obama's comments on marijuana last year during a closed-door speech to law enforcement officials, the New York Times reported.
Michele has led this distinguished agency with honor, and I have been proud to call her my partner in the work of safeguarding our national security and protecting our citizens from crime, exploitation and abuse.
Over the past decade, under her leadership, there have been innumerable instances of the DEA dismantling the most violent and most significant drug trafficking organizations and holding accountable the largest drug kingpins around the world.
Going forward, I have no doubt that the women and men of the DEA will continue to perform their duties with the utmost integrity, professionalism and skill – and I wish my good friend Michele all the best as she embarks on this next chapter in what is a remarkable life.
DAE Administrator Michelle Leonhart listens while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
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