Michael Caputo, the top communications official for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Apologized for comments made during a Facebook Live Event
The HHS is one of the key leading agencies in the Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The organization is also the parent agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), two large governmental apparatuses that employ thousands of scientists. Therefore, there was a muffled outcry from workers of these agencies that wanted to remain anonymous in their response to incendiary remarks made by the top communications official of the HHS, Michael Caputo. Along with possibly suggesting a second Civil War is looming, and also calling scientist seditionists, the head of HHS purportedly referenced several other conspiracy theories during a Facebook Live event that took place on the weekend following the nineteenth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
The following Tuesday, on September 15th, Caputo addressed HHS workers with an apology. According to reports, the communications official also suggested he might not be serving at his government position much longer. If he does stay on the payroll, he said he would have to take medical leave as his personal health was declining. Although it is unclear whether this is connected to his declining health, Caputo went on to mention that his family had received alarming threats from both sides of the political aisle. The political right is angry about the HHS response to the virus for various reasons, and the left is angry about the comments made on his Facebook.
Specifically, it has been reported that the government official warned Trump supporters to anticipate armed conflict and insurrection, which could be considered sedition, but then accused HHS scientists themselves of being rebellious against authority. More recently, emails have come to light that show Caputo and another Trump ally, Paul Alexander, possibly threatened a CDC official over COVID-19 guidance being published on the agency’s government website.
Until Next Time,
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HHS Communications Official