Top communications official at HHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) Michael Caputo will be taking a medical leave of absence for a couple of months. This announcement came from the department on Wednesday, days after the political strategist baselessly accused the government scientists of deliberately delaying effective COVID-19 treatments in an attempt to hurt Donald Trump's re-election bid.
The Department of Health and Human Services released a statement announcing that HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Caputo has decided to take a leave of absence, citing this decision to Caputo's need to focus on his health and the well-being of his family. The statement confirmed that he would be on a leave for the next 60 days.
Caputo released a statement as well, saying he consulted with Trump and his HHS Secretary Alex Azar before deciding to take a leave of absence. He noted that he consulted with the president and Secretary Azar regarding his decision to take a temporary medical leave of absence, claiming that he would be pursuing necessary screenings for a lymphatic issue that was discovered last week, during this break.
"My experience mirrors that of many Americans," he said in the statement. Caputo said when he first noticed that he was losing weight, he thought it was a result of a new exercise and diet regimen, but soon realized there may be other factors causing his weight loss for quite some time now.
Caputo went on to explain that he failed to see his doctor and said it was a big mistake since it increased his stress level, in the wake of violent threats leveled at him and his family that lives in Buffalo, New York. Aside from that, he noted that every American battling coronavirus pandemic has been under immense pressure, adding that he was just one of them.
He expressed gratitude to the nation's leading infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci for consulting with his personal physician as he avails of the long-needed healthcare, which he neglected through the pandemic. The Trump campaign 2016 official told CBS News earlier this week that he did not plan to take time off.
During a Facebook Live session over the weekend, Caputo baselessly claimed there are hit squads undergoing training all over America to ensure Trump does not win in Nov. He also accused the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) scientists of making plans to attack the president.