WASHINGTON (AP) — A political appointee who was caught up in a dispute between the departments of Interior and Housing and Urban Development has resigned. Assistant HUD secretary Suzanne Israel Tufts was tapped to lead an internal watchdog agency at Interior, but instead has left government.
A HUD official announced her resignation Friday, a week after HUD Secretary Ben Carson said in an email to staff that she would take over as Interior’s acting inspector general. Tufts would’ve replaced longtime acting inspector general Mary Kendall.
Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, said Thursday that Carson’s email “had false information in it.”
A HUD spokesman said Friday that Carson has accepted Tufts’ resignation and thanks her for her service. HUD blamed a “miscommunication” for the mistaken email sent by Carson.
Only the best people.
We will never get the swamp drained at this rate. Why can’t they get their shit together?
Curious that only WaPo has reported that this bureaucrat hadn’t been seen at HUD for a couple of months. Guess she didn’t know what or where her job was, but that direct deposit arrangement took care of payroll. Where’s the rest of the story?
Well the Post is a real paper, and people in DC looking to knife people in the back tell it things…
Reading between the lines, this person had not been actually doing any work at HUD (why is unclear, or if Carson was trying to get rid of her) and when this scheme blow up when someone leaked Carson’s e-mail announcing her move, saw the handwriting on the wall. They did not want to be hung out to dry professionally before a House Committee come January 2019. It will probably happen anyway, but I can see someone deciding that “resigning” is better than someone in Trump land trying to fire her to cover someone’s butt.
Everyone connected with this administration so far - except it appears Nicki Hailey - has had their reputation destroyed.
Tufts was given a very nice, albeit very used, breakroom dinette set as a going away present.