By AJ Vicens

(Reuters) – The Department of Homeland Security, as part of an evaluation of its election security mission, said on Tuesday that personnel focused on misinformation, disinformation and foreign influence operations aimed at U.S. elections have been placed on administrative leave. 

    DHS Secretary Kristi Noem 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,” agency spokesperson Rhonda Lawson said in a statement in response to a Reuters query.

    Lawson did not immediately respond to questions about how many employees were placed on leave, if they would be reassigned or if they were permanently leaving the department.

    Noem criticized the Biden administration’s approach to homeland security, including efforts by DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, during her confirmation hearing on January 17. The agency had “gotten far off mission,” she said.

(Reporting by AJ Vicens; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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