The best communications officer under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suddenly resigned just two weeks after being sworn in to become the secretary of the official duties last week.
The resignation of Trump administration appointee Thomas Corey was first reported by Politico. Corry did not respond to multiple requests from CBS News for comments.
Corey’s departure came days after Kennedy faced criticism about how he handled questions about growth Measles outbreak White House in Texas Cabinet meetingcalling it “not unusual” and misunderstanding the number of The death reported In the state.
A former HHS official and well-versed in Corey’s ideas said he expressed disappointment at how Kennedy handled the question. It’s an opportunity you missed and create a headline for what looks fatally indifferent Outbreak.
However, Cory’s complaints were beyond that. Vaccine meeting I’ll stall Research funding.
Unlike previous officials in roles that normally work closely with secretaries, Corey was separated from Kennedy, a former HHS official said. Federal officials said they are not sure if Corey holds Kennedy’s trust or will undermine his authority.
In an interview with Fox News that aired Tuesday, Kennedy claimed he had not met Corey, and didn’t know much about his former top spokesman.
“I think individuals had HR issues and were about to close, so they might have created a story to explain their firing, and they stopped before he got the news,” Kennedy said.
HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon declined to comment when asked about Kennedy’s remarks. Instead, Nixon reilluminated previous statements attributed to Principal Stephanie Spear’s Chief Director of Kennedy, which has become “first priority” for his team.
Spear is one of the few current HHS aides who worked for Kennedy during his Longshot presidential election. Many others have been hired from Trump supporters and alumni ranks from other federal agencies.
This includes Nixon, who previously handled the press for Trump’s campaign. Nixon had reported to Corey along with former Army Public Relations official Michael Brady.
Corey previously served as a communications officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the Covid-19 pandemic under the first Trump administration.
Several current CMS officials praised Collie for being extremely competent, trusted and well-received, not just among Trump’s aides, but also among the Career Federal Health Service.
Spear, who also holds the title of Kennedy Senior Counselor, has strict control over communications across the department, several officials said.
Before Kennedy’s confirmation, the spear ordered an unprecedented whole division Communication “Pause” It has frozen the release of information across HHS.
Other factors have contributed to challenges within the communications shop, including a lack of staffing, according to a former HHS official.
During the Biden administration, when top-ranked civil servants within the telecom office retired in recent years, they were replaced by political appointees rather than career executives who remained after the White House changed hands.
It complicated the transition and left the institutional knowledge deficit in the next Trump administration.
More changes could be made to the remaining communications authorities. Current HHS officials said staff within the team were asked to provide an explanation of “roles and responsibilities” by noon Tuesday.
