The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has terminated a supervisor who allegedly directed disaster relief teams to avoid homes displaying support for President-elect Donald Trump during hurricane recovery efforts in Florida. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced the dismissal on Saturday, condemning the employee's actions as "reprehensible" and a clear violation of the agency's commitment to impartial service.
The incident occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which swept across the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall in Florida last month, causing widespread damage. The storm compounded the impact of Hurricane Helene, which struck weeks earlier, devastating communities across several states. Reports suggest that a FEMA directive led some workers to exclude certain homes from assistance based on political signage.
According to the Daily Wire, the FEMA supervisor, identified as Marn'i Washington, issued both verbal and written instructions to bypass homes with Trump campaign signs. "Avoid homes advertising Trump," Washington reportedly instructed relief teams canvassing Lake Placid, Florida. The directive quickly sparked backlash, raising concerns about political bias within disaster response operations.
In response, Criswell took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to affirm the agency's commitment to neutrality and public service. "More than 22,000 FEMA employees every day adhere to FEMA's core values and are dedicated to helping people before, during, and after disasters, often sacrificing time with their own families," she wrote. "Recently, one FEMA employee departed from these values to advise her survivor assistance team not to go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Trump. This is a clear violation of FEMA's core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation."
Criswell emphasized that such conduct would not be tolerated. "I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA, and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct," she stated.
FEMA has characterized the incident as isolated and referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel for further review. "We take our mission to help everyone before, during, and after disasters seriously," Criswell said. "This employee has been terminated, and I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again."
The controversy has attracted attention from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who framed it as evidence of political bias within federal agencies. "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 wrote on X. He announced that his administration would conduct its own investigation into the matter.
Hurricanes Milton and Helene have caused significant destruction, leaving many communities in dire need of relief. The timing of the reported misconduct has exacerbated political tensions, with former President Trump and his allies accusing the federal government of withholding aid from Republican-leaning areas. During a campaign stop in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, Trump criticized the Biden administration's disaster response-a claim disputed by federal and local officials.
To address concerns, FEMA has dispatched additional teams to areas potentially affected by the directive, including Lake Placid. "We are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident," the agency stated.
Washington's dismissal highlights FEMA's efforts to maintain public trust and impartiality during politically charged times. As Criswell underscored, "Helping people is what we do best, and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes."
