It’s Official: Joseph Clancy to Head the Secret Service

President Obama permanently appointed Clancy to the position Wednesday. He had been serving as interim chief of the beleaguered agency since former Director Julia Pierson was ousted in October.

Pierson’s tenure was cut short after a series of flubs made the wrong kind of headlines, starting with the news that a group of Secret Service agents had hired prostitutes in Colombia while in that country for official business in April 2012.

The Los Angeles Times gave details of Clancy’s upgrade after the White House announcement:

“Acting Director Clancy is a dedicated public servant who has made important chances since he began the job and has started the process of reforming the service,” said Tom Perrelli, a former Department of Justice official who is on the DHS panel. “I look forward to working with him as he continues to implement the panel’s recommendations.”

White House officials have lauded Clancy for acting on recommendations by the panel that include making crucial personnel changes. The high-level officials reassigned within the agency came from various departments including protective operations and investigations.

With Obama’s appointment of Clancy on Wednesday, the president rejected calls from some members of Congress and the special panel for the agency to be run by an outsider.

Among Clancy’s duties will be ensuring that the White House doesn’t receive unexpected visitors over the fence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

–Posted by Kasia Anderson