Washington ( CNN ) -- The head of the Environmental Protection Agency 's office in Dallas has resigned over comments he made in 2010 that became the focus of political condemnation last week . EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Monday that she accepted a letter of resignation from Al Armendariz . `` I respect the difficult decision he made and his wish to avoid distracting from the important work of the agency , '' Jackson said in a written statement . In the letter dated Sunday , Armendariz said he regrets his comments , adding that they did not reflect on his work or the work of the EPA . The controversy erupted last week when a video surfaced showing Armendariz saying in 2010 that his methods for dealing with non-compliant oil and gas companies were `` like when the Romans conquered the villages in the Mediterranean . They 'd go into little villages in Turkish towns and they 'd find the first five guys they saw and crucify them . '' Sen. James Inhofe 's office told CNN it uncovered the video while preparing for a blistering half-hour Senate floor speech that Inhofe delivered Wednesday . In the speech , the Republican from Oklahoma criticized the Obama administration 's energy policies and cited Armendariz in particular . `` His comments give us a rare glimpse into the Obama administration 's true agenda , '' Inofe said . After the video went viral , Armendariz quickly issued an apology . But Inhofe rejected the apology , and the White House and EPA dissociated themselves from the administrator 's remarks . `` Administrator Armendariz apologized yesterday for his 'poor choice of words ' when he admitted that EPA 's 'general philosophy ' is to 'crucify ' and 'make examples ' of oil and gas companies , but he did not apologize for EPA 's actions towards its apparent crucifixion victims , '' Inhofe said . `` Take the word 'crucify ' out of Administrator Armendariz 's statement and nothing has changed : You still have a rogue agency following through on President Obama 's 'general philosophy ' to increase the price of gas and electricity , '' Inhofe added . White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Thursday that `` the official 's comments are inaccurate as a representation or characterization of the way the EPA has operated under President Obama . '' In a statement posted on its website , the EPA said it was `` deeply unfortunate that in a 2010 video an EPA official inaccurately suggested we are seeking to 'make examples ' out of certain companies in the oil and gas industry . '' Armendariz was on a leave of absence from his job as a professor at Southern Methodist University while he served with the EPA . He was appointed by Obama in 2009 . The remarks surfaced at a critical time for Obama 's re-election campaign . The administration 's energy policies have been targeted by critics , including Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney , who blame the president 's policies for higher oil and gas prices . On Friday , a letter signed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee 's Republican members requested clarification of Armendariz 's enforcement strategies and policies while leading the agency 's Region 6 office . The committee said it `` will use all authorities at its disposal to ensure Armendariz 's attendance '' at an upcoming hearing . CNN 's Tom Cohen contributed to this report .
The Sunday comment by Lisa Jackson drew protests from Republicans . The White House Administrator Armendariz accepts Al Armendariz 's resignation . The White House and the agency call the remark inaccurate . Armendariz says he regrets his comment .