Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has resigned amid charges of mismanagement, falsification of records and systemic problems at VA health facilities.
President Obama announced on Friday he had accepted Shinseki’s resignation minutes after meeting with him and said he regretted accepting the resignation, but "the VA needs new leadership" and he agreed with the secretary's own assessment that he has become too much of a distraction.
"We don't have time for distractions," Obama said. "We need to fix the problem."
Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson will lead the VA temporarily, Obama said, adding that he will nominate a new permanent secretary soon.