WASHINGTON — Commerce Secretary John Bryson resigned Thursday less than two weeks after suffering a seizure and multiple car accidents in the Los Angeles area, saying he didn’t want his health to be a distraction from his job.
Bryson, 68, a former California utility executive, served as a member of President Barack Obama’s economic team and advised the president on energy issues. In a letter to Obama dated Wednesday, he said his resignation was a “consequence of a recent seizure and a medical leave of absence.”
Obama met with Bryson in the Oval Office on Thursday to thank him for his service. The president said in a statement he had accepted the resignation.
Bryson’s resignation followed a series of traffic incidents June 9. Authorities said Bryson was driving alone in a Lexus near Los Angeles when he struck a vehicle that had stopped for a passing train. He spoke with the three occupants and hit their car again as he departed. He then struck a second car in a nearby city, where he was later found unconscious in his car.The Associated Press
