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Pierson will become the first woman to hold that post and she takes the helm at a controversial time in the agency's history.

The retirement comes after a tough year for the service, which was rocked by a prostitution scandal that resulted in the resignation or firing of six agents.

From full protection and full entourage, the losing presidential candidate quickly goes back to reality. When he returned home early Wednesday from his concession speech, GOP nominee Mitt Romney rode in the back seat of a car driven by his son. Secret Service agents were on their way elsewhere.

An anonymous ransom note causes a stir by alleging that Pricewaterhouse Coopers' network was hacked — and copies of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's tax returns were copied.

The agent was pulled from the security detail and the Secret Service said they take this "very seriously."

The data, going back to 2004, total 229 pages. The list does not detail confirmed cases of misconduct, but rather accusations of such misbehavior as involvement with prostitutes.

In a case involving then-Vice President Dick Cheney's Secret Service detail, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that agents accused of a politically motivated arrest are immune from suit. But the court's unanimous ruling did little more than resolve this particular case.

At the first congressional hearing into the scandal, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine will make the case that Secret Service supervisors have turned a blind eye to bad behavior.

Top stories include the expected testimony of the Secret Service director on the recent scandal involving agents who allegedly hired prostitutes in Colombia; and Egyptians go to the polls today to choose a new president.

The rules cover alcohol consumption and the types of businesses traveling staff can patronize.