U.S. housing department secretary quits amid ethics scandals

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced on Monday that he would quit the job after he was involved in the ethics allegation.

Citing the personal and family reasons, Jackson said in a statement that his resignation would take effect on April 18, but he did not mention the ethics allegation against him.

"As the son of a lead smelter and nurse midwife, and the last of 12 children, never did I imagine I would serve America in such a way," he said. "I am truly grateful for the opportunity."

However, it would be the time for him to "attend more diligently to personal and family matters," he added.

Jackson's tenure has been faulted by allegations of cronyism and favoritism in the past two years. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is still looking into his ties with a golfing partner who earned nearly 400,000 U.S. dollars from the Housing Department as a construction manager in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Earlier this month, two Democratic Senators Patty Murray and Christopher Dodd criticized Jackson for refusing to respond adequately to the allegations and urged him to resign since his capability to handle the current major housing crisis in the country has been distracted.

Jackson's resignation comes as the U.S. is suffering from the serious subprime crisis in which many families lost their houses.

As President George W. Bush's long-time friend, the 62-year-oldsecretary took the office in 2004. Prior to it, he was the first black leader of the housing authority in Dallas, Texas.