By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-19 22:32:09 | Updated at 2024-11-26 08:59:28
6 days ago
The top official at FEMA threw a former colleague under the bus after outrage that the agency skipped assisting hurricane-ravaged houses if they had pro-Donald Trump signs.
Administrator Deanne Criswell insisted Tuesday that news of an employee directing emergency personnel to skip Florida houses with signs supporting former president Donald Trump after Hurricane Milton was an isolated incident.
FEMA employee Marn’i Washington was fired after a text chain was leaked that showed her instructing colleagues to 'avoid' houses that had Trump signs in their yards.
In response, Washington went public in a series of interviews accusing FEMA officials of 'lying' about the scandal, and making her the scapegoat of a wider practice.
But Criswell said the blame lays squarely with Washington, the fired employee. She appeared in front of two House committees on Tuesday to testify about the incident, which she called 'completely at odds' at the mission of FEMA that 'would not be tolerated.'
'I do not believe that this employee's actions are indicative of any widespread cultural problems at FEMA,' she said.
But House Republicans were more skeptical, relying on Washington's recent media appearances to suggest there was more to the story than just one employee that FEMA described as 'rogue' and not in line with agency practices.
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deanne Criswell testifies in front a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on oversight of FEMA
Washington told workers in a group chat to 'avoid homes advertising Trump' as they worked around the town of Lake Placid in late October and early November
Criswell told members of congress at the House Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee hearing that she would request an investigation from the Inspector General to make sure the practice was not being conducted elsewhere in the department.
In a message to staff, Washington told workers to 'avoid homes advertising Trump' as first reported by the Daily Wire, which resulted in staffers skipping certain addresses and noting it in their system.
'Trump sign no entry per leadership,' the recorded responses read.
Criswell confirmed that 20 homes were skipped as a result of Washington's guidance to staff.
Under questioning from Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Criswell admitted she had not spoken with the homeowners who were skipped by FEMA.
'I have not talked to them personally, I have an entire team that focuses on this investigation and that's what they are doing,' she said.
Images of the system used to document what homes they visited show notes being left that said: 'Trump sign, no contact per leadership'
Fired FEMA employee Marn’i Washington says she was only following directives from her superiors
Employees said they wound up skipping at least 20 homes with signage indicating their support for the President-elect
Florida Congressman Byron Donalds questioned Criswell about reporting from the New York Post, citing an anonymous source in FEMA who described the practice of skipping 'white or conservative dominated disasters zones' altogether as 'an open secret for years.'
Criswell said she would continue investigating the incident to make sure it was not happening anywhere else in the department.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-FL, asked Criswell whether or not Washington's supervisor Chad Hershey was being investigated.
'I will commit that anybody who has taken actions to politically discriminate against people that were impacted by this disaster will have the appropriate disciplinary action to include termination,' she replied.
The scandal rocked FEMA just as officials blamed 'misinformation' for reports that the agency was not doing enough to help storm victims in rural North Carolina. Despite criticism from storm victims, President Joe Biden praised Criswell for FEMAs hurricane response.
'Deanne, you're doing a hell of a job,' Biden said to her during a briefing on hurricane response.
