Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who has emerged as a central figure in the Trump administration’s quickly expanding Ukraine affair, has resigned and will leave his job by the end of the year.
“It’s with profound emotion and gratitude that I am announcing my resignation effective later this year as your Energy Secretary,” he said in a video to staffers posted Thursday. “There is much work to be done in these upcoming weeks and I remain fully committed to accomplishing the goals that I set out to accomplish at the beginning of my tenure. And then, I will return to my favorite place in the world— Texas— but I’ll treasure the memories of what we’ve accomplished together.”