Health and Human Services Official Investigated for Pushing Conspiracy Theories
Jon Cordova is reportedly on leave for peddling bogus claims about Trump opponents on social media.
James Lawler Duggan/Reuters
A top Department of Health and Human Services official has reportedly been placed on administrative leave while the agency investigates his penchant for promoting conspiracy theories and racist memes on social media. Jon Cordova, the HHS principal deputy assistant secretary for administration, joined the agency in February 2017. Prior to that, he pushed a slew of fringe conspiracy theories about Donald Trump’s opponents while working for his campaign in California, CNN reports. He posted stories claiming Gold Star father Khizr Khan was a “Muslim Brotherhood agent” working for Hillary Clinton, that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) frequented prostitutes and concealed information about his birth and education, and that NBA star Dwyane Wade supported Trump. He also called on followers to boycott Budweiser, saying the company supported “jihadis,” and compared Black Lives Matter to Nazis. An HHS spokesperson confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that Cordova had been placed on leave pending an internal investigation.
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