WASHINGTON — It looks like Michele Leonhart, the acting head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, will soon get the nomination from the White House to fill the post on a permanent basis, according to knowledgeable sources.
Leonhart, a former Baltimore cop, joined the DEA in 1980 and rose through the ranks to become deputy administrator in 2004. In 2007, she became acting administrator, the top post in DEA, after Karen Tandy resigned.
Leonhart would have to be confirmed by the Senate to take the post on a permanent basis. The Senate confirmed her as the deputy administrator in March 2004.
Rusty Payne, a DEA spokesman, declined to comment and referred calls to the White House. The White House on Wednesday afternoon asked that the question be submitted in an email. It has not yet responded.
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