Brown resigns

FEMA director quits amid heavy criticism

Under criticism for alleged resume discrepancies and management failures in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown resigned today.

"The focus has got to be on FEMA, what the people are trying to do down there," Brown told the Associated Press.

On Friday, Brown was relieved of his duty as overseer of the federal government's response to the Gulf Coast hurricane and replaced by Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad W. Allen.

"I'm turning in my resignation today," Brown said. "I think it's in the best interest of the agency and the best interest of the president to do that and get the media focused on the good things that are going on, instead of me."

But the Bush administration continued to support Brown as President Bush did on his first visit to the scene of Hurricane Katrina.

Yesterday, FEMA revised Brown's biography on its official website to revise his title while working in Oklahoma.

The bio now states Brown served as "an assistant to the city manager." FEMA also revised his role in emergency planning at the time.

The revised biography states "his background in state and local government also includes serving as an assistant to the city manager with emergency services oversight responsibility."

The old biography said "his background in state and local government also includes serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight."

FEMA spokesman Matt Burns summed up the change simply as "a clerical typing error that has since been corrected."