Katherine Archuleta says she will not be resigning as director of the Office of Personnel Management in the wake of two major network breaches that exposed personal information on more than 22 million Americans, mostly current and former federal employees.
Lawmakers began calling for Archuleta's departure after the first Congressional hearing June 16, with more joining the chorus in the days to follow.
More: Lawmakers demand OPM chief's resignation
With the announcement Thursday that some 21.5 million records on current, former and prospective federal employees, as well as relatives were exposed in the second breach, the question of Archuleta's tenure at OPM was raised again.
"When I took office in late 2013, one of my priorities was to upgrade OPM's antiquated legacy systems," she said during a call with reporters Thursday. "It is because of the efforts of OPM and its staff that we've been able to identify the breaches."
More: OPM breaches affected 22 million Americans
After being pushed by reporters to clarify, Archuleta confirmed that she will not be stepping down and affirmed her support of agency CIO Donna Seymour, as well.
"No ... I am committed to the work that I am doing at OPM," she said, adding, "I have trust in the staff that is there, including Donna Seymour."
Archuleta expressed her sympathy to those affected by the breaches and asserted OPM's commitment to protecting employee data.
"To those that have been directly affected by this theft of information, I truly understand the impact this has on our current and former federal employees, our military personnel and our contractors," she said. "Each and every one of us at OPM is committed to protecting the safety and security of the information that is placed in our trust. And we remain committed to do everything in our power to assist those that have been impacted by this incident."
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Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.
