After Hurricane Helene hit states like North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee hard, many Americans were skeptical about the federal response.
Some people claimed that FEMA did very little to help people living in those areas with recovery if anything at all.
Now, one FEMA worker in a hurricane-ravaged state just proved that the theories many conservatives had about the agency’s response were true.
At least one FEMA employee refused to help Trump supporters
It is no surprise that the country is sharply divided when it comes to politics.
However, even if someone disagrees with another person’s political views, it does not permit them to refuse to do the job for which they were hired.
But one Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worker just got fired after telling a hurricane response team not to go to the homes of victims if they had yard signs showing support for President-elect Donald Trump.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the employee’s actions were “reprehensible” and noted that the issue was referred to the Office of Special Counsel.
In a statement released by Criswell, she said, “This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.”
Meanwhile, FEMA has not identified the employee and has not confirmed when or where the incident occurred.
Florida Governor Ron Desantis said it happened in his state after sharing a post from The Daily Wire.
The popular news and opinion website first reported the FEMA worker’s firing before the agency issued an official statement.
According to DeSantis, the worker’s behavior was “targeted discrimination” of anyone who supports Donald Trump.
He also said he directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to investigate the incident.
“The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days,” he said.
FEMA workers have been in Florida (and other states) helping residents recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton over the past few months.
The news of the employee’s firing comes just one month after the agency tried to fight back against claims that they were running out of funding.
Criswell told NPR last month that, “Disaster response is non-political. It is all about the people.”
In her most recent statement, she said, “We take our mission to help everyone before, during, and after disasters seriously. I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again.”
The agency is under investigation
Once stories about the incident broke, the House of Representatives Oversight Committee announced plans to launch an investigation into FEMA.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chairperson of the committee, said he sent FEMA Director Criswell a letter asking her to testify at a hearing.
The hearing would be conducted so government officials can get answers to questions about the agency’s response to the recent hurricanes.
In a letter to Criswell, Comer wrote that the hearing would “permit members to investigate recent reports that a FEMA official instructed relief workers to bypass hurricane-impacted homes displaying campaign signs for President Trump.”
He added, “In the wake of the recent major disasters that impacted Americans of all political persuasions, it is critical that FEMA adheres to its disaster relief mission.”
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
