The U.S. Treasury building is seen in Washington, September 29, 2008. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Department official Stuart Levey has agreed to act as treasury secretary pending confirmation of Timothy Geithner, a transition official said on Thursday.

Geithner, President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee to succeed Henry Paulson, has run into trouble over back taxes and the immigration status of a former housekeeper. The controversy forced the Senate Finance Committee to postpone until next Wednesday a nomination hearing for Geithner.

Obama has said he is confident that Geithner will win Senate approval, but the hearing delay means the president-elect will take office on January 20 without his pick to lead the United States out of its worst economic crisis in decades.

An official in Obama’s transition team confirmed U.S. media reports that Levey, Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, would act as treasury secretary pending Geithner’s approval.

Levey, an attorney who has served as under secretary since 2004, has been responsible for the Treasury Department’s efforts to disrupt and dismantle financial networks supporting terrorist organizations.