Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Chair Resigning

The first-ever head of a small federal privacy watchdog is resigning this summer, a year and a half before his term ends in 2018. The surprise announcement from David Medine, chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), will leave a hole at the top of the five-member board, which has been instrumental to shining a light on the National Security Agency (NSA).

President Barack Obama said that Medine’s tenure took place “during an especially momentous period, coinciding with a concerted examination of our national security tools and policies to ensure they are consistent with my administration's commitment to civil liberties and individual privacy. “Under David's leadership, the PCLOB's thoughtful analysis and considered input has consistently informed my decision-making and that of my team, and our country is better off because of it,” President Obama added. The privacy board has served as a crucial tool for critics of the NSA’s expansive surveillance powers in the years since former NSA contractor Edward Snowden’s 2013 leaks about the agency. Medine came to the PCLOB after stints at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He had also worked in the White House’s National Economic Council, the Federal Trade Commission and the law firm WilmerHale. His resignation will take effect July 1. The privacy board said that Medine will leave his post to work at a development organization focusing on data privacy and consumer protection issues for people in developing countries. Medine said that he will continue his work on the board until he leaves office. It's unclear whether the executive order analysis will be finished by the time he leaves.