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              US Drug Enforcement Official's Resignation Expected

   by Associated Press

   The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Michele Leonhart, is
   expected to resign soon, an Obama administration official said Tuesday.

   Leonhart is a career drug agent who has led the agency since 2007, and
   is the second woman to hold the job. She has faced mounting pressure
   from Congress, where some question her competence in the wake of a
   scathing government watchdog report detailing allegations that agents
   attended sex parties with prostitutes.

   Leonhart was widely criticized for her response to the report, and a
   group of lawmakers said she was "woefully unable to change'' the
   agency's culture.

   The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal
   announcement had not yet been made.

   Lawmakers have been pushing for Leonhart's ouster since her disastrous
   appearance before the House Oversight Committee last week. A majority
   of the committee said that they had lost confidence in her and that she
   "lacks the authority and will to make the tough decisions required to
   hold those accountable who compromise national security and bring
   disgrace to their positions.''

   The Justice Department report that jeopardized Leonhart's job recounted
   allegations that drug agents attended sex parties with prostitutes,
   some funded by local drug cartels, in a foreign country. The DEA said
   the incidents happened in Colombia.

   Last week, the White House voiced concerns about the Justice Department
   report.

   Leonhart has previously been the target of online petitions calling for
   her ouster after she distanced herself from the administration's stance
   on legalized marijuana, seen as a hands-off approach that lets states
   legalize marijuana so long as it is state-regulated. Marijuana remains
   illegal under federal law and is classified by the DEA as a Schedule I
   drug, along with drugs such as heroin and peyote.

   Leonhart also declined to fully endorse sentencing reform efforts
   supported by the Justice Department.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/ap-drug-enforcement-official-resignat
   ion-expected/2729594.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/ap-drug-enforcement-official-resignation-expected/2729594.html