FEMA Accused of Discriminating Against Trump Supporters, House Oversight Committee to Investigate
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) has claimed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been “weaponized” to discriminate against conservatives.
His remarks come after reports that FEMA skipped over homes in Florida displaying support for President-elect Donald Trump during disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Milton. Comer argues that this incident is part of a broader pattern of political discrimination under the Biden administration.
In an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, Comer stated that it appears FEMA instructed its employees not to assist households supporting Trump, suggesting this was not an isolated event. “We believe this is a pattern, and this is a pattern dating back for the three previous years, all throughout the Biden-Harris administration,” Comer said.
“FEMA’s supposed to be a nonpartisan, good government agency that comes in to help Americans in their desperate time of need, but what we have here with FEMA is what we’ve seen with many other government agencies under Biden-Harris: a weaponized agency that discriminates against conservatives.”
The Oversight Committee has demanded that FEMA provide a detailed briefing on the allegations, with plans to question FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in a hearing on Tuesday, November 19. The committee is particularly concerned about whether FEMA has diverted resources to assist illegal immigrants, and intends to investigate where those funds have been allocated.
Marn’i Washington, a FEMA supervisor involved in the incident, told The Washington Examiner that she had informed her superiors about streets in Florida that should be avoided due to “hostile political encounters.” She said her decision to avoid these areas was made to protect her team, and that her supervisors supported her actions.
Following the reports, Comer emphasized the need for accountability within FEMA and the broader Biden administration. He called for the removal of officials involved in the incident, arguing that it was part of the broader mandate from voters who elected Trump. “We need to work with the Trump administration to get rid of the deep state,” Comer asserted.
At least 20 Florida homes with pro-Trump signs were reportedly skipped during FEMA’s disaster relief canvassing.
In response to the allegations, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has filed a lawsuit against the federal government and FEMA Administrator Criswell, seeking punitive damages for alleged civil rights violations. The lawsuit claims that hurricane victims who displayed pro-Trump signs were unjustly denied aid.