FEMA relief workers were told by their supervisor to avoid helping Donald Trump supporters after Hurricane Milton, which claimed around 30 lives.
The supervisor has now been fired for her actions, which her boss calls “reprehensible”.
According to a report by The Daily Wire, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official has instructed disaster relief workers to avoid homes with signs supporting Donald Trump while working in Florida after the hurricane.
Internal correspondence shows that Marn’i Washington, a FEMA supervisor, ordered his team to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they surveyed the damage in Lake Placid, Florida, to determine which residents might qualify for federal aid.
Multiple federal employees confirmed to The Daily Wire that at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were skipped over between late October and early November because of this specific instruction.
Images from the system used by federal aid workers to track homes visited also showed notes such as: “Trump sign no entry per leadership” and “According to management, no stop at Trump flag”.
– I volunteered to help disaster victims, not discriminate against them. It felt wrong to discriminate against Trump supporters when they were most vulnerable, said one relief worker.
This is Marn’i Washington.
She directed her FEMA team to deny Trump supporters aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Hundreds of people may have passed away because of her.
Should she be held accountable? pic.twitter.com/5D26pxqJnx
— Rand Matthews (@RandMatthews) November 9, 2024
“Clear violation of FEMA’s core values”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell responded to the revelation by firing Washington, stating:
This was reprehensible. I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct.
— Deanne Criswell (@FEMA_Deanne) November 9, 2024
Damaging the agency’s credibility
The incident has prompted the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability to schedule a hearing to investigate the conduct. Committee Chairman James Comer has asked Criswell to testify before lawmakers on November 19. In addition, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has launched a statewide investigation into the incident.
The exposed scandal has led to massive outrage in the United States, with many questioning whether the agency can be considered a serious player at all – or whether it should be seen as a haven for hostile left-wing activists who let their political beliefs determine who gets help and who doesn’t.
Deanne Criswel, however, insists that the behavior is “reprehensible” and that, like Marn’i Washington, any other staff member who behaves in a similar way will be fired.
