ReutersA supervisor for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) was fired for asking employees to help storm survivors bypass homes with signs supporting Donald Trump.
The head of the agency, Deanne Criswell, described the supervisor’s actions as “reprehensible”, saying FEMA takes its mission “to help people before, during and after disasters seriously” .
Although Criswell’s statement about X did not say when or where the incident occurred, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the Division of Emergency Management would open an investigation at his direction.
DeSantis called the situation “targeted discrimination” against Trump supporters in Florida.
FEMA workers were in Florida helping people recover from Hurricane Milton last month and needed to survey home damage to assess who was eligible to apply for federal aid.
The Daily Wire reported Friday that FEMA workers were checking homes in Lake Placid when they were ordered to ignore homes with signs supporting the Republican candidate.
“Trump signed no to each leader,” the internal message in the government system said, Daily Wire reports.
“When we got there, we were told to discriminate against people,” one whistleblower told the agency. “It’s almost unbelievable that anyone in the federal government would think that’s okay.”
Criswell, the FEMA director, ended her statement by saying she “will continue to do everything possible to ensure this never happens again.”
EPACongressman James Comer said he will call on Criswell to appear before a House Oversight Committee hearing on November 19.
Josh Hawley, a Missouri state senator, also published a letter calling for the prosecution of those involved if necessary.
Florida has been hit by two major hurricanes in the past few months.
At least 24 people were killed in the Battle of Milton, leaving millions of homes and businesses without power.
Two weeks before Milton, Hurricane Helene made landfall, becoming the deadliest storm on the U.S. mainland since Katrina.
More than 200 people died, more than half of them in North Carolina, where entire communities were devastated.
.
