CIA deputy director Michael Morell has resigned, the Associated Press is reporting.
The Washington Post reported earlier Wednesday that Morell planned to resign and will be replaced with White House lawyer Avril D. Haines, Barack Obama's deputy council in charge of national security issues.
Haines has never worked for the CIA. She will be the first woman to take the deputy director job, which is the number-two spot at the agency.
Morell has been deputy director of the CIA since 2010. He will now join the presidential intelligence advisory board, according to Reuters.
The Post called this resignation and appointment of Haines a "surprise move."
Morell told the Post that he decided to resign last month to "devote more attention to my family." He has three college-aged children, and emphasized that the resignation was his choice.
Morell worked for the CIA for 33 years, according to the Post. He's been the acting director of the agency twice. This commentary from the Washingtonian gives a good description of what Morell does, and points out that he's "held some of the higher-profile intelligence jobs in Washington."