FEMA worker fired for urging team not to help homes with signs supporting Trump

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, whose mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, fired an employee who advised its survival aid team in Florida not to go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Donald Trump. said the agency’s director.

“This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values ​​and principles of helping people regardless of their political affiliation,” FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said on social media platform X.

Criswell added over the weekend: “This employee has been terminated and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said his state’s emergency management department would launch an investigation into the matter.

The FEMA administrator and DeSantis’ comments did not mention the exact time period or location of the incident.

FEMA workers helped Florida residents recover from last month’s devastating Hurricane Milton. The institution, which is already strapped for cash, has recently been subjected to a disinformation campaign.

FEMA has a workforce of more than 22,000 people that can reach more than 50,000 active members during major disasters. It has 10 regional offices and has the capacity to coordinate resources across the federal government.

“This was reprehensible. I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and actions will not be tolerated at FEMA and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct,” Criswell said. he added. Comments about the employee leaving the job.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)