(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.

Staffers at the nation’s cybersecurity agency whose job is to ensure the security of U.S. elections have been placed on administrative leave, jeopardizing critical support provided to state and local election offices across the country.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has placed several members of its election security team on administrative leave, the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed to TechCrunch.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has placed personnel responsible for monitoring misinformation, disinformation, and foreign influence in U.S. elections on administrative leave. This move comes as DHS