A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official has been removed from a role after directing disaster relief workers to skip homes “advertising” support for President-elect Trump after the devastating hurricanes in Florida.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a FEMA spokesperson said the agency is “deeply disturbed” after the incident,” noting the official who gave the instruction “was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes.”
“While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again,” the spokesperson said.
“The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes, and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident.”
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FEMA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
The Daily Wire first obtained internal messages about the incident.
In messages obtained by the outlet, a FEMA official instructs workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”
The outlet noted the aid workers would enter into a system tracking applications that they made no contact with the residents, blaming the directive — “Trump sign, no contact per leadership.”
Hurricane Helene aftermath in Florida. (Office of Congresswoman Kat Cammack)
The agency said it is investigating the incident and is taking it “extremely seriously.”
FEMA noted after hurricanes Helene and Milton the agency has helped over 365,000 households and provided over $898 million in direct assistance.
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“We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels,” the agency said. “Helping people is what we do best, and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes.”
President Biden talks with Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as he arrives at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in Greer, S.C., Oct. 2, 2024, to survey damage from Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
In a statement on X, the U.S. House Oversight Committee and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said the person responsible for sending out guidance to employees has not been fired.
“FEMA hasn’t fired this person…But the IRS has been trying to force IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley out for blowing the whistle! We must hold these unelected bureaucrats accountable,” Comer wrote on X.
“FEMA admits this happened but doesn’t say if the bureaucrat responsible has been fired,” the House Oversight Committee wrote on X. “Democrats relentlessly defend the rules that insulate unelected bureaucrats from accountability and make it nearly impossible to fire bad employees. This is why we need President Trump’s reforms to make bureaucrats accountable.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a storm preparation news conference. (Office of the Florida Governor)
In a statement on X, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his administration is launching an investigation into FEMA.
“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,” DeSantis said. “At my direction, the Division of Emergency Management is launching an investigation into the federal government’s targeted discrimination of Floridians who support Donald Trump.
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“New leadership is on the way to D.C. and I’m optimistic that these partisan bureaucrats will be fired.”
WATCH:
The discovery of mismanagement came after the Biden administration lectured people about spreading “disinformation” about FEMA.
During a White House address on the government’s response to hurricanes Milton and Helene, President Biden denounced the “reckless, irresponsible and relentless disinformation and outright lies that continue to flow.”
“That $750 that they’re talking about? Mr. Trump and all those other people know it’s a lie to suggest that’s all they’re going to get,” Biden said during an address in October. “It’s just bizarre. They got to stop this. They’re being so damn un-American with the way they’re talking about this stuff.”
