Report: Hall steps down as FRA's acting administrator

Heath Hall has stepped down as acting administrator and deputy administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) after the news site Politico raised questions about whether he was simultaneously working as a private consultant.

Hall resigned effective immediately, news agencies — citing the U.S. Department of Transportation — reported over the past weekend. He had become the FRA's acting chief in June 2017.

Politico reported earlier this year that Hall continued working as a public relations consultant in Mississippi, even after he had begun serving the FRA.

Late last month, FRA Chief Counsel Juan Reyes became the agency's acting deputy after it was revealed that Hall was on "an extended leave."

The disruption in FRA leadership comes as the agency awaits U.S. Senate confirmation of former freight-rail industry executive Ron Batory, who President Trump nominated to serve as the permanent FRA administrator last year.