Nuclear security

Head of U.S. agency overseeing nuclear weapons stockpile resigns

The head of the agency that oversees the U.S. stockpile of nuclear weapons has resigned, the U.S. Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration said on Friday, without providing a reason.

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty resigned as administrator of the NNSA, a semi-autonomous branch of the department.

William Bookless is now serving as NNSA’s acting administrator, it said in a statement. He had been serving as NNSA’s principal deputy administrator for the last year-and-a-half.

The action drew criticism from Senator James Inhofe, Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee who praised Gordon-Hagerty and harshly criticized Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette.


“That the Secretary of Energy effectively demanded her resignation during this time of uncertainty demonstrates he doesn’t know what he’s doing in national security matters and shows a complete lack of respect for the semi-autonomous nature of NNSA,” Inhofe said in a statement.