A FEMA supervisor in Florida has been accused of instructing disaster relief workers to bypass homes displaying support for President-elect Donald Trump. The agency confirmed the allegations on Friday. Marn’i Washington, the FEMA official in question, reportedly issued the directive both verbally and via a Microsoft Teams chat used by relief workers. The workers were assisting residents of Lake Placid, a community severely affected by Hurricane Milton last month.
Washington’s directive was part of a “best practices” memo to employees. The memo also included instructions for workers to avoid going anywhere alone, to practice de-escalation techniques, to stay hydrated, and to follow the rules. When homes were bypassed due to the presence of Trump signs, relief workers noted in FEMA’s computer system: “Trump sign no entry per leadership.”
FEMA employees reported that at least 20 homes displaying Trump signs or flags were passed over between the end of October and into November due to the directive. As a result, residents of these homes were not given the opportunity to sign up for federal FEMA disaster relief assistance following the Category 3 hurricane’s landfall.
A FEMA spokesperson confirmed the allegations, expressing deep concern over the employee’s actions. The spokesperson stated, “FEMA helps all survivors regardless of their political preference or affiliation and we are deeply disturbed by this employee’s actions.” The agency has taken measures to remove the employee from their role and is investigating the matter to prevent a recurrence.
The spokesperson further clarified that the employee who issued the directive had no authority to do so and was not instructed to avoid homes displaying Trump support. The agency is now reaching out to those who may have been missed due to this incident. The spokesperson added, “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.”
Florida’s Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, expressed outrage over the incident on Friday. He argued that it was indicative of the Harris-Biden administration’s misuse of government power. DeSantis stated, “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 has directed the Division of Emergency Management to investigate the federal government’s alleged discrimination of Floridians who support Donald Trump.
The controversy arose after the Harris-Biden administration faced criticism from Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, and residents of areas affected by Hurricane Helene over the federal government’s slow response to the disaster. FEMA employees reported that Washington has not been punished for the directive and was simply reassigned to a different Florida county. However, a FEMA spokesperson stated that Washington is “no longer working in the state of Florida or in any FEMA operations at this moment” pending the outcome of an investigation.