Katie Zacharia, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said Tuesday she is leaving the agency just weeks after taking the job, the latest high-profile departure at DHS during a period of leadership upheaval and intensifying political scrutiny.
Zacharia, who joined DHS in February as a deputy assistant secretary for public affairs after the departure of top spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, announced her exit in a post on X.
"I joined @DHSgov with a genuine passion for supporting @realDonaldTrump @POTUS in his decisive and effective policies to secure our homeland, be a voice for the precious Angel Families, and an advocate for the men and women of @ICEgov," Zacharia wrote.
"I look forward to continuing that work in other capacities," she added.
Her exit comes as DHS adjusts to another leadership transition after the Senate confirmed Secretary Markwayne Mullin on March 24, and President Donald Trump swore him in the same day, replacing Kristi Noem as head of the department.
Zacharia, a conservative commentator and vocal Trump supporter before joining the department, entered DHS as McLaughlin left after becoming one of the administration's most visible defenders of its immigration enforcement agenda.
Her departure also lands as House Democrats press for investigations into Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee at DHS, including a March 18 request for an inspector general probe and a March 23 expansion of that inquiry tied to alleged pay-to-play contracting questions. Lewandowski has denied wrongdoing.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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