Republicans call for investigation into FEMA employees avoiding homes with Trump signs
House Republicans are calling for an investigation into Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees, alleging they avoided homes with Trump campaign yard signs in multiple states when they were assisting communities hit by recent hurricanes.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and subcommittee Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.) asked for the Department of Homeland Security inspector general to conduct an investigation into FEMA’s conduct during the relief efforts for hurricanes Milton and Helene.
The committee, which has oversight over the agency, said there were “multiple allegations” of “the deliberate avoidance” of homes with Trump campaign signs in Florida and North Carolina during relief efforts.
Marn’i Washington, a former FEMA employee, was terminated for allegedly advising a survivor assistance team in Florida to skip homes with Trump merchandise.
Washington has disputed the allegations and claimed she was being framed after she was named in a lawsuit by the Florida attorney general. She said homes were skipped because of “verbal abuse” by those Trump supporters, not because of any political bias.
Reports about skipping Florida homes had previously been discussed by the committee, but the lawmakers highlighted Washington’s comments in which she said it was not an isolated incident for the nonpartisan aid agency. In a podcast interview, Washington said FEMA preaches “avoidance first and then de-escalation.”
“Not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas,” she said.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell testified before the committee about the incident in November, saying she would call for an Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation. Criswell said not providing relief to people because of their political preferences was “completely at odds with FEMA’s mission.”
“I would welcome an investigation by the IG,” Criswell told lawmakers, clarifying that she would “request one” when Perry followed up.
In their letter to the inspector general, the lawmakers said Criswell provided “conflicting testimony” about whether the OIG would conduct an investigation and were writing to request one themselves.
The call for an investigation comes months after hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through the South and severely damaged western North Carolina. As FEMA began to roll out its aid ahead of the election, the distribution and processes became heavily politicized by President-elect Trump and his supporters.
The lawmakers note the investigation could help rebuild trust in the typically nonpartisan agency.
“FEMA must work to restore the trust of the American people, and your office plays a crucial role in bringing transparency and accountability to the agency,” they wrote.
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