HHS offical placed on leave

According to videos and tweets first uncovered by Media Matters, Ximena Barreto, a deputy director of communications at HHS, repeatedly pushed false claims about the nonexistent pedophilia ring run out of a Washington, D.C., pizzeria, as well as making disparaging comments about African-Americans and Muslims.

An HHS spokeswoman told The Hill that Barreto “has been placed on administrative leave while the matter is reviewed.”

Barreto was hired by HHS in December 2017.

In November 2016, she tweeted that efforts by Hillary Clinton supporters to start an election recount were “a hoax so we get distracted from #Pizzagate.”

She made similar claims in a Periscope video that month.

“Don’t listen to the recount, and relax. We’ve got to use all of our efforts into Pizzagate and not let that one die because that’s what the mainstream media is trying to get distracted from. So check all the Pizzagate stuff,” Barreto said in the video.

  The Hill

I don't understand why they put her on leave for statements like that. Surely that's why she was hired in the first place.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.