Florida sues FEMA for denying aid to Trump supporters : NPR

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She’s accusing FEMA officials of discriminating against Florida hurricane victims who support President-elect Donald Trump.

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell, and a former FEMA supervisor for violating the civil rights of Florida residents in the response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which hit in late September and early October.

The federal lawsuit accuses FEMA officials of conspiring to discriminate against Florida hurricane victims who support President-elect Donald Trump.

The suit names Criswell, and former FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington, who was fired after reports that she directed FEMA workers in Lake Placid, Fla. to skip over houses that displayed Trump campaign signs and flags in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

“Hurricane season is not over, and the federal agency in charge of emergency response is embroiled in scandal – caught withholding aid from storm victims in Florida who support President Trump,” said Moody, a Republican.

“I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination reaches and to make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served, regardless of their political affiliation.”

After reports of the incident, Criswell called Washington’s behavior “reprehensible” and fired her. She said Washington’s directive was a “clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.”

But the former supervisor, in an interview on media commentator Roland Martin’s digital show, claimed she was following standard protocol to avoid hostility in the field.

The incident came just days after conspiracy theories about FEMA spread after Hurricane Helene devastated the southeast, leading to threats of physical violence against FEMA workers in North Carolina. The agency curtailed door-to-door field operations there for a short period.

A spokesperson with FEMA says the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis backs the legal action and says he’s instructed other state agencies to investigate and “ensure those who engaged in this behavior are held accountable.”
 
Criswell faces Congressional scrutiny over the matter as well. She’s scheduled to appear before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee next Tuesday.