A far-right political pundit who was appointed to a post at the Department of Health and Human Services listed on her resume her past work on a conspiracy website and YouTube show where she made anti-Muslim comments, according to documents obtained by CNN’s KFile.
Ximena Barreto was placed on leave at the department in April following reports from CNN and Media Matters that she spread conspiracies and made anti-Muslim comments. She returned to work after issuing a public apology but was moved from her job as a deputy director of communications.
“Comments I made as I private citizen before I was hired at HHS were brought to light by concerned members of the press,” Barreto said in her apology at the time. “In the heated and hyper-passionate political campaign environment, I made generalized comments regarding race relations and radical Islam. I fully understand that these emotionally-charged comments were hurtful, and I deeply apologize to members of both communities.”
A copy of Barreto’s resume, obtained by CNN on Thursday through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows she listed her previous conspiratorial work on her resume as a qualification for the communication position.
The resume noted her work from June 2017 through the present on “The Right View” and on the Halsey News Network – YouTube shows she co-hosted where she said Islam was “a cult” and said the Republican Party shouldn’t allow a Muslim to run for Congress.
Another portion of her resume noted her work as a writer for the conspiracy-driven website “Borderland Alternative Media” from April 2017 to the present. Barreto notes in description the website was funded by “Joe Biggs, ex-InfoWars journalist” who himself repeatedly pushed the false Pizzagate conspiracy.
In a post for that website, Barreto wrote that Islam had no place in the United States.
Barreto also listed her personal website, TheRepublicanChick.com, on her resume which linked to all of her social media accounts including Twitter and Periscope where she pushed her most inflammatory opinions.
An HHS spokeswoman did not return a request for comment. Barreto did not return a request for comment.
On Thursday, Mediaite reported additional inflammatory tweets from Barreto, and that, despite her public apology, she tweeted in June that CNN’s story was “a smear.”