Acting US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is stepping down, Fox News reported on Monday.
Wolf sent a letter to DHS employees informing them of his decision in which he said, "I am saddened to take this step, as it was my intention to serve the Department until the end of this Administration."
"Unfortunately,” he continued, “this action is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary.”
Wolf goes on to say that Pete Gaynor, FEMA Administrator, will become the Acting Secretary of DHS.
"Be proud of what we have accomplished," Wolf wrote DHS employees. "The Homeland is safer and more secure because of your efforts."
"I leave knowing the Department has positioned itself for an orderly and smooth transition to President-elect Biden’s DHS team. Welcome them, educate them, and learn from them. They are your leaders for the next four years - a time which undoubtedly will be full of challenges and opportunities to show the American people the value of DHS and why it is worth the investment," the letter concludes.
Wolf’s resignation is the latest in a series of resignations in the Trump cabinet following last week’s violent riots at the US Capitol.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos submitted her resignation this past Thursday following the incident.
In her resignation letter, DeVos wrote to Trump, "There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me."
Previously, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao also resigned after taking "time to absorb" the Capitol Hill riot and the President's response to it.