HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir also criticized Grimm during the briefing, saying the period of time in which the interview took place came before the administration ramped up coronavirus testing. He disclosed that he only learned of the findings from the media on Monday, and said the inspector general’s office was “ethically obliged” to inform him faster of any issues, reported Politico.

An HHS OIG spokeswoman told Reuters that the office “approached this survey with the same integrity and quality standards as we have in previous work” and said staff had interviewed “knowledgeable professionals at more than 320 hospitals across 46 states.”

Former HHS Inspector General Dan Levinson, who retired last year, also defended Grimm. “Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi Grimm is a highly respected career senior executive. Nothing in her longstanding career of public service would suggest otherwise."

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