Matthew S. Petersen told Secrets that he submitted his letter of resignation (shown below) to the White House Monday morning. It said that he will leave the agency by the end of the week.

"It's just the right time," said Petersen, who has won wide praise for his steady and thoughtful approach to election issues, his dedication to the First Amendment, and battles to fend off the regulation of technology and the internet.

"During the course of my tenure, I have always taken very seriously my obligation to safeguard the First Amendment rights of the American people when taking regulatory action," said Petersen, nominated to the board in 2008 by former President George W. Bush.