FEMA official fired for diverting hurricane aid away from Trump supporters’ homes

A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official who ordered Hurricane Milton relief workers to leave homes with Trump signs has been fired from her position, a FEMA spokesman told Fox News, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the federal agency is investigating the controversy.

The FEMA official, who was not named by the agency, instructed workers interviewing Lake Placid, Florida, to “avoid pro-Trump advertising houses” while they determined which residents would be eligible for federal aid, according to internal communications , first obtained by the Daily Wire.

The Daily Wire reports that government officials told the media outlet that at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were bypassed from late October through November as a result of the official’s “best practices” guidance. The houses were jumped by the workers, who wrote messages like, “Trump signs no entry per tour,” in a government system, according to the outlet.

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On Saturday, FEMA Employee Misconduct Officer Deanne Criswell confirmed to Fox News Digital that the employee had been fired, calling her actions “reprehensible” and a clear violation of FEMA’s core values ​​and principles of people being independent to help their political affiliation.

“We take our mission to help everyone before, during and after disasters seriously. This employee has been terminated and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel,” Criswell said. “I will continue to do everything I can to make sure something like this never happens again.”

A FEMA spokesman told Fox News on Friday that it was “deeply disturbed” by the employee’s actions and that it was an “isolated incident.”

“FEMA is assisting all survivors, regardless of their political preference or affiliation,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“The staff member who issued this guidance had no authority or direction to tell teams to avoid these homes and we are reaching out to those people who may not have been reached as a result of this incident,” the spokesperson said “The agency has helped more than 365,000 households affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in Florida and provided nearly $900 million in direct assistance to survivors.”

“We are appalled that this has happened and have therefore taken extreme measures to rectify this situation and ensured the matter is addressed at all levels.”

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FEMA agents were ordered not to help homes with Trump signs in Highlands County, a deep red area of ​​south-central Florida that was hit by tornadoes, torrential rains and flooding when the Category 3 hurricane struck the Sunshine State in October . President-elect Trump won nearly 70% of the vote there on Tuesday.

DeSantis criticized the federal agency on Friday after learning of the official’s actions and announced that his administration would open an investigation into FEMA over the incident.

“The blatant weaponization of the government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is another reason the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days,” DeSantis wrote on X.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis holds a storm preparation press conference before Hurricane Milton hits Florida. (Florida Governor’s Office)

“At my direction, the Division of Emergency Management is opening an investigation into the federal government’s targeted discrimination against Floridians who support Donald Trump. New leadership is on the way to DC and I am optimistic that these partisan bureaucrats will be fired.”

The U.S. House Oversight Committee and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., also targeted the agency, particularly for failing to fire the official.

He said this comes despite the IRS’s attempt to oust whistleblower Gary Shapley from that agency. Shapley, an IRS special agent, along with IRS criminal investigator Joseph Ziegler, brought allegations of political influence in the Hunter Biden investigation to Congress.

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Washington headquarters photographed on October 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

“FEMA didn’t fire this person… But the IRS tried to force out IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley for blowing the whistle! We must hold these unelected bureaucrats accountable,” Comer wrote on X.

“FEMA admits this happened, but is not saying whether the bureaucrat responsible was fired,” the House Oversight Committee wrote. “That’s why we need President Trump’s reforms to hold bureaucrats accountable.”

Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s son, also criticized the agency.

“This is outrageous even to the ruling Democrats and should be criminal,” Trump Jr. wrote on X. “These people should be pushed out of FEMA, government and society! A full investigation is warranted!”

Fox News’ Madison Scarpino contributed to this report