EXCLUSIVE — A group of Republican congressmen led by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) signed a letter Thursday demanding answers from FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell after it was reported that emergency responders were being told to “avoid” homes “advertising Trump.”
The group expressed their “grave concerns” after at least twenty homes with pro-Trump signs were skipped over, leaving homeowners “in critical need” without the opportunity to qualify for assistance.
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“It is deeply disturbing that FEMA has allowed such blatant political bias to influence disaster relief efforts for storm victims,” Buchanan told the Washington Examiner. “This is a clear violation of FEMA’s duty to serve all Americans impartially, and I demand immediate action to identify all responsible parties within the agency, hold them accountable and ensure that this disgraceful behavior never happens again.”
The letter notes that the report of FEMA workers being directed to avoid pro-Trump houses is “not an isolated incident.” The former FEMA supervisor who came under fire for advising her team to do this spoke to the Washington Examiner in an exclusive interview on Sunday, revealing that the policy was encouraged and directed by her own superiors and was more widespread than just in Florida, where she was deployed.
The former supervisor, Marn’i Washington, claims that this policy is put in place “to keep the team safe” as hostile encounters with Trump supporters involving FEMA workers “having their lives threatened” prompted her to avoid certain streets. Washington demanded that FEMA turn over the incident reports which would show where the alleged hostile encounters took place.
The Washington Examiner filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Homeland Security to obtain these reports, but the Republicans led by Buchanan took it a step further and demanded Criswell provide a litany of information, including incident reports showing FEMA workers “not engaging with citizens due to their political affiliation.”
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The Republicans also want to know what guardrails are being put in place to prevent “political discrimination like this incident” going forward, what approval processes are in place to make sure that guidance sent out by FEMA officials is appropriately authorized before being distributed, and how long it will take for FEMA to conduct its investigation into the incident.
In addition, they want to know whether FEMA has contacted the residents of the homes passed over by Washington’s teams to make sure they have access to federal aid and whether any other FEMA personnel has been identified as directing workers to avoid homes with pro-Trump signs.
The Washington Examiner obtained communications confirming Washington was encouraged by her superior to skip certain streets.
The letter signed by 55 Republicans including Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Burgess Owens (R-UT), requests assurances that the families “skipped over” be contacted, apologized to and provided with assistance if they need it. They gave FEMA a deadline of Dec. 14 to provide the requested information.
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The Republicans warned that a federal agency exhibiting “such blatant and politically charged bias… erodes public trust and undermines FEMA’s mission to deliver unbiased and effective aid.”
“Americans deserve better. In this country, we protect all our citizens, regardless of political affiliation,” the letter says. “We urge FEMA to take swift and decisive action to address this issue, hold those responsible fully accountable and restore public trust in its ability to serve every American in need.”
