After Capitol riots, 5 senior FAA appointees to resign

Five staff members in the Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will leave their positions effective Monday, according to an internal email obtained by FOX Business.

The departing staff members issued their resignations Thursday, just one day after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the Electoral College vote. Their notices came on the same day that Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced her resignation, also effective Monday.

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"Our colleagues’ decisions, given the gravity of yesterday’s events, are understandable," FAA chief of staff Angela Stubblefield told employees in an email. "Like all of us, they are outraged by the brazen and violent attack on one of the sacred institutions of American democracy."

The five "non-career" employees who have chosen to leave the agency are Arjun Garg, chief counsel and current acting deputy FAA administrator; Brianna Manzelli, assistant administrator for communications; Kirk Shaffer, assistant administrator for airports; Bailey Edwards, assistant administrator for policy, international affairs and environment; and Andrew Giacini, acting administrator for legislative affairs.

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"Each has been a valuable member of the FAA senior leadership team, provided sound counsel to the Administrator and me, and contributed mightily to the agency’s success," Stubblefield wrote in the email.

On Thursday, Chao posted her letter of resignation on Twitter saying "it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. Department of Transportation."

Despite that, Chao said she remains "deeply troubled" by the events that took place as Congress convened for a joint session to finish counting the Electoral College votes that would confirm Democrat Joe Biden's victory.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson addressed her departure along with the five other employees in a video message posted on YouTube.

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Chao "shared that our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event that deeply troubled her," Dickson said in the nearly 4-minute clip.

Dickson also thanked the five departing employees for their service and condemned the violence that took place, calling it an "attack on our sacred democracy."

"I want to thank them for their extraordinary leadership in this agency, their steadfast focus on safety and their tremendous support," he said.

Moving forward, the FAA is encouraging its staff to "help each other through this difficult and challenging time."

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The departing employees would typically have left their position when Biden takes office on Jan. 20, according to Reuters.

Fox News' Constance McDonough and The Associated Press contributed to this report.