WASHINGTON — National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell resigned his post effective today, according to a U.S. official.
The official, who asked not to be named because the resignation has not been announced, said Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, Jr. is temporarily serving as acting national intelligence director starting today. Burgess has been confirmed by the Senate to become the next director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
President Barack Obama has nominated retired Adm. Dennis Blair to be the next national intelligence director, who serves as the president’s top intelligence adviser. Blair would oversee a budget of nearly $50 billion and a work force of more than 100,000 spread across 16 agencies.
Obama has asked McConnell to serve on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. McConnell was the nation’s second national intelligence director and has served in the job for nearly two years. The position was created in 2004.
McConnell will also rejoin Booz Allen Hamilton as senior vice president, the company announced today. McConnell left the company in 2006 for the intelligence job.
