Further Caputo update

Top HHS spokesman Michael Caputo called an emergency staff meeting on Tuesday to apologize for leveling a series of false accusations on Facebook Live over the weekend.

  Politico

Maybe he should go back on Facebook Live and apologize to the whole world.

Caputo told staffers that his remarks — which included unfounded allegations the Centers for Disease Control was harboring a “resistance unit” — reflected poorly on HHS’ communications office.

No shit.

On Sunday, Caputo took to Facebook Live to level a series of wild and false accusations that warned of an armed insurrection after the election and asserted without evidence that public health officials were trying to undermine Trump’s reelection bid.

Several people inside and outside the administration subsequently raised concerns to Azar and the White House about the Facebook Live video.

[...]

Caputo told staffers that his remarks — which included unfounded allegations the Centers for Disease Control was harboring a “resistance unit” — reflected poorly on HHS’ communications office.

Maybe he should consider that this is not the job for him.

The session left some staffers with the impression that Caputo would soon step aside as the department’s assistant secretary for public affairs.

I'd advise it.

One former HHS official separately told POLITICO that Caputo, a former Trump campaign official who has long complained of the stress caused by having been mentioned in the special counsel's investigation on Russian interference in the 2016 election, was mulling taking medical leave.

[...]

Caputo made allusions to the fact that HHS had functioned for a long time in the past without a permanent top communications official.

Just the way Trump likes it.

Caputo was at the center of a series of reports on political meddling with the department’s Covid-19 response, including POLITICO reports that he and top adviser Paul Alexander tried to influence key CDC scientific bulletins. Alexander, who was hired by Caputo in the spring, also pushed infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci to downplay the virus’ risk to children.

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

UPDATE 9/16:  Caputo has been diagnosed with cancer.  What of the brain, you ask?

"After surgery last week at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, doctors diagnosed Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Caputo with squamous cell carcinoma, a metastatic head and neck cancer which originated in his throat," according to a statement from David DiPietro, a New York State assemblymember who is serving as Caputo's spokesperson. "He is now home in Western New York, resting in the loving arms of his family, under the watchful eye of Jesus Christ." 

  Politico