President Trump’s twice-chosen nominee to head the federal cybersecurity agency CISA has asked to resign, leaving the agency without a clear-cut person to lead it permanently.
In a letter to the White House on Wednesday, Sean Plunky urged the Trump administration to withdraw his nomination, saying his nomination requires a vote in the Senate.
Plunky said that more than a year after he was first nominated to head CISA, it was “clear” that the Senate would not confirm him.
The New York Times published a copy of Mr. Planke’s letter on Thursday. Politico first reported Plankey’s decision to withdraw his nomination. The newspapers said Planke was unlikely to reach the majority needed to appoint him because Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) is blocking his nomination over a Coast Guard contract unrelated to cybersecurity. Mr. Plankey previously served as a senior advisor to the Coast Guard leadership.
Nick Andersen has been acting CISA director since Madhu Gotumukkara resigned in February. Gottumukkala was appointed to oversee the agency on an interim basis in May 2025, but resigned after less than a year after a checkered term.
CISA is tasked by Congress with cybersecurity defense and infrastructure protection across the civilian federal government. Even as the U.S. government and its allies have faced numerous cyberattacks over the past year, the agency has faced a difficult year, with at least three government shutdowns, several furloughs, and White House-directed budget and staff reductions.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration requested that CISA’s budget be cut by more than $700 million amid claims that the agency engaged in “censorship.” This is a reference to CISA’s efforts to combat election misinformation during the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost.
A White House press secretary did not immediately comment on whether the administration had accepted Planke’s request to withdraw his nomination, nor did he say who the Trump administration plans to nominate as the agency’s permanent director.
If you buy through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect editorial independence.
Source link
