Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigned Wednesday after problems of security lapses and a breach at the White House prompted increasing calls for her departure.
In a newly revealed incident, a security contractor with a gun and a criminal record rode an elevator with President Barack Obama last month.
It happened during the president's visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Secret Service agents became suspicious after the man tried to shoot a video of the president. A database check showed the man had three convictions for assault and battery.
The incident is the latest in a series of embarrassing missteps by the Secret Service. On Sept. 19, Omar Gonzalez, who was armed with a knife, was able to jump a fence and run deep inside the White House.
Pierson was grilled over the incident during a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Lawmakers from both parties were searing in their criticism of the agency.
"I believe that you have done a disservice to the president of the United States," Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., told Pierson.
Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., holding up an ADT home security sign, asked, "Have you ever heard of these guys?"
Meanwhile, Gonzales is due in court later Wednesday. If convicted, he could face 10 years in prison.
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