The top spokesman at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Michael Caputo, will take a two-month leave of absence, the agency said on Wednesday. The move came two days after the New York Times reported that Caputo, a former adviser to President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, said on Facebook that government scientists were engaging in “sedition” in their handling of the pandemic.
Caputo said without evidence that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was harboring a “resistance unit” determined to undermine Trump, according to the report. He also said that armed left-wing squads were preparing for insurrection following the election. HHS said in a statement that Caputo had decided to go on a leave of absence “to focus on his health and the well-being of his family.” Caputo said he decided to take the leave to undergo screenings for a “lymphatic issue” discovered last week.
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