The head of the Secret Service has resigned after major lapses in the protection of President Obama and his family. Julia Pierson’s departure comes after an armed intruder made it inside the White House after scaling a fence, running across the lawn, and entering through an unlocked door. The Secret Service later admitted an armed security guard with a criminal record was allowed to ride in an elevator with President Obama in Atlanta earlier this month. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced Pierson’s resignation.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest: “Director Pierson offered her resignation today because she believed that it was in the best interest of the agency to which she has dedicated her career. The secretary agreed with that assessment. The president did, as well. Over the last several days, we have seen recent and accumulating reports raising questions about the performance of the agency, and the president concluded that new leadership of that agency was required.”

The White House says it was only informed of the elevator incident shortly before it was revealed in a news report this week. Pierson had initially been appointed after a 2012 scandal when a dozen Secret Service agents solicited prostitutes in Colombia.