FEMA has fired a supervisor who directed hurricane relief workers to bypass homes displaying Trump campaign signs in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
The decision came after an internal investigation into the incident, which revealed that relief workers were instructed to avoid helping certain residents based on visible political signs.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed the firing of supervisor Marn’i Washington in a statement on Saturday.
“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 to help disaster survivors. Recently, one FEMA employee departed from these values by advising her team to avoid homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Trump,” Criswell stated.
Criswell condemned Washington’s actions, emphasizing that this conduct violates FEMA’s commitment to serving all individuals equally, regardless of political affiliation.
“This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation. This was reprehensible,” she said.
The investigation began after reports surfaced that certain homes with Trump signs in Lake Placid, Florida, had been deliberately skipped.
According to messages obtained by The Daily Wire, relief workers received instructions to “avoid homes advertising Trump” and to not stop at properties marked with Trump flags.
As a result, at least 20 homes were reportedly bypassed in October and November while workers were conducting damage assessments and identifying residents eligible for aid.
The messages shared among FEMA workers in internal online channels included notes like “Trump sign no entry per leadership” and “no stop Trump flag,” revealing that the directive came from management rather than individual worker decisions.
Criswell stressed that such actions will not be tolerated within FEMA.
“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 added.
She affirmed FEMA’s mission to assist all communities before, during, and after disasters, and stated that the agency had referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel for further review.
To prevent similar incidents in the future, Criswell assured the public that FEMA would reinforce its dedication to impartiality and equal assistance.
“I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again,” she stated.
The incident underscores FEMA’s challenge in maintaining public trust and the agency’s duty to provide aid impartially.
The agency’s swift action and public response reflect a commitment to accountability and to correcting breaches of public service ethics.