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| Ximena Barreto, President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services Department appointee who spread conspiracies and made anti-Muslim statements, resigned Friday. Photo by Sarah Stierch/Wikimedia Commons |
By Susan McFarland, UPI
President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services Department appointee resigned Friday, after a flux of controversies regarding anti-Muslim statements and spreading conspiracies.
[post_ads]Ximena Barreto, appointed in December to a communications post, was placed on leave in April following media reports that she used social media to spread conspiracy theories about a supposed pizza shop sex ring and made inflammatory remarks about Muslims.
After issuing a public apology, Barreto returned to work but was removed from her post as deputy director of communications and reassigned to HHS' Administration for Children & Families.
Barreto's resignation, first reported by Politico, is the third from the HHS following Gavin Smith, a communications staffer who publicly attacked lawmakers and reporters, and Tim Clark, who served as White House liaison.
Among the conspiracy theories spread by Barreto include Hillary Clinton engaging in a child-sex ring at a Washington pizza shop, being involved in the murder of Democratic National Committee aide Seth Rich and Clinton employing pedophiles in her campaign.
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