Smithsonian chief resigns

last updated 8 January 2015

Washington, D.C.

The head of the Smithsonian Institution resigned this week, after an audit revealed that the museum complex has paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars in perks, including private jets, chauffeured limousines, and lavish parties. Lawrence Small, 66, a former financial services executive, had a controversial seven-year tenure at the Smithsonian. The institute’s science staff has long been critical of his lack of scientific credentials, and he drew fire for his decision to close some research centers. He resigned after the Senate froze a planned $17 million increase in the institution’s $1 billion budget, citing “out-of-control spending.”