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WASHINGTON - The head of the US foreign aid agency resigned after being contacted by a major television network investigating an alleged Washington "DC Madam" prostitution operation.
The US State Department announced Friday that Randall Tobias, the head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), had resigned for personal reasons.
Tobias said "that he must step down" from his post "effective immediately," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement Friday.
"He is returning to private life for personal reasons," McCormack said.
But ABC News reported that Tobias had submitted his resignation after being contacted by the network, which obtained the telephone records of so-called "DC Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who is facing charges of running a prostitution service.
"We are sad and disappointed by this news. Randy was an extremely effective leader in the fight against HIV/Aids in places like Africa, and his work in development at USAID. We wish him and his family well," said Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman traveling with President George W. Bush in Florida.
Tobias took over USAID, the government agency in charge of sending humanitarian aid in disaster situations around the world, 14 months ago, replacing Andrew Natsios.
His tenure was strongly criticized in a hearing in the US House of Representatives in March, especially by Democrat Tom Lantos, who was angered by USAID's role in the West Bank and Gaza, Russia and India.
Before he took the USAID post, Tobias was responsible for coordinating the US government's international HIV/AIDS assistance efforts.
Prior to that Tobias served as chairman, president and chief executive of the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company. He also served as chairman of Duke University's board of trustees from 1997-2000.
Palfrey has been charged with operating a prostitution service for 13 years until her retirement in 2006.
But she denies doing anything illegal.
"The business, Pamela Martin and Associates, functioned as a high-end adult fantasy firm which offered legal sexual and erotic services across the spectrum of adult sexual behavior and did so without incident during its 13 year tenure," she writes on her website.
- AFP /ls
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