U.S. EPA Administrator Christie Whitman officially stepped down today — and she wasn’t alone. The agency’s second-in-command, Linda Fisher, unexpectedly resigned as well, leaving the EPA without an obvious leader until a permanent successor is nominated and approved, a process that is expected to take many months. Like Whitman, Fisher expressed pride in the work done by the EPA during her tenure and said it was a “rare privilege” to be a part of the Bush administration. Also like Whitman, she cited her family as the reason behind her decision to leave. However, Beltway scuttlebutt has it that Fisher resigned because she was unhappy about being passed over for leadership of the agency. Currently, the leading candidate for that position is Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (R).
