President Barack Obama has tapped a new leader for the Office of Personnel Management, the federal agency beset by questions over its handling of a massive hack on personal information earlier this year.
The White House said Tuesday that Obama was nominating Beth Cobert to fill the post. Colbert has been acting as interim director since July. Her predecessor, Katherine Archuleta, stepped down after the agency revealed a computer hack had affected far more individuals than initially thought.
Obama said in a statement that Cobert “will bring tremendous depth and quality of experience to her role as Director of the Office of Personnel Management.”
The federal government revealed in June that hackers had obtained information about background checks from OPM computers. Officials identified the Chinese as behind the cyber intrusion, though the U.S. government never officially accused Beijing of responsibility.
Reaction to Cobert’s nomination among lawmakers was largely positive, even those skeptical of OPM’s handling of the hacking incident.
“In my initial meetings with Beth Cobert, she has impressed me as a talented, qualified, and competent choice for OPM Director,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee. The Utah Republican called on Cobert to sack the agency’s chief information officer, citing incompetence.
Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, also said he supported Cobert’s nomination.
“I find her to be someone who is impressive, decisive, and well-respected on both sides of the aisle in Congress,” he said. “She is someone who can continue to help lead OPM through this challenging time.”
