The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that several employees from its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), specifically those involved in election security and combating misinformation, have been placed on administrative leave. This move is part of a broader evaluation of the agency’s approach to election security.
In a statement to Scripps News, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said CISA must “refocus on its mission,” beginning with election security. “The agency is undertaking an evaluation of how it has executed its election security mission with a particular focus on any work related to mis-, dis-, and malinformation,” the statement read.
In April 2022, then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified that DHS was creating a “Disinformation Governance Board” to combat misinformation ahead of the 2022 midterms. During a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Mayorkas said the board was formed to address misinformation campaigns targeting minority communities.
As the agency conducts its review, personnel involved in efforts related to “mis-, dis-, and malinformation,” as well as foreign influence operations and disinformation, will remain on administrative leave. The board was allegedly led by Undersecretary for Policy Rob Silvers and co-chaired by Principal Deputy General Counsel Jennifer Gaskill.
Nina Jankowicz, a former disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center, reportedly served as the board’s executive director.
