Jeffrey Byard, President Donald Trump’s former pick to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency, resigned from his post at the agency in December, according to NBC News.
Byard in his resignation letter said that he "had the privilege of leading the finest workforce during the most impactful natural disaster period in our nation's history."
Trump nominated Byard last February after Brock Long resigned as FEMA chief. But the White House pulled back after a federal inquiry into a possible barroom altercation involving Byard prompted concern from Congress and White House officials.
The FBI did not find “substantial” evidence of the incident, but concerns lingered following the completion of his vetting process.
Byard has served as associate administrator of the Office of Response and Recovery for the past two years and oversaw the agency during Puerto Rico’s recovery from the 2017 hurricanes.
A spokeswoman for FEMA told NBC Byard was leaving to pursue a position in the private sector.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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