Florida sues FEMA after Hurricane Milton relief workers allegedly bypassed homes of Trump supporters

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida has filed a lawsuit against the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and one of his former employees, accusing them of conspiring to refuse to help Donald Trump supporters. Hurricane MiltonAn incident criticizing the state at the beginning of October.

The lawsuit names Deanne Criswell, who has run FEMA since 2021, and Washington employee Marn, who allegedly sent text messages to aid workers instructing them to stay away from homes with Trump signs.

Criswell called the allegations “reprehensible” and described it as an isolated incident. Washington has since been fired from the agency. In an interview with FOX News, Washington said avoiding homes with Trump signs was part of an agency-wide policy to avoid political conflict and that he was following orders from senior officials. He accused the agency of scapegoating him.

It all comes as the National Hurricane Center tracks Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean and Central America.

The Daily Wire first broke the story after receiving alleged messages instructing workers to stay away from homes with Trump signs.

At least 20 homes in Lake Placid were skipped because of Trump signs or visible Trump support, according to the lawsuit.

“Hurricane season is not yet over, and the federal agency responsible for emergency response is embroiled in a scandal that withheld aid from storm victims in Florida who supported President Trump. I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination goes.” “Ensure service is provided to all Americans impacted by the storms, regardless of political affiliation,” Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement.

In the case, Moody is requesting a jury trial. He seeks nominal and punitive damages.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed X shortly after the news broke and said the state of Florida would launch its own investigation into FEMA and the alleged actions.

Ahead of the lawsuit, Deanne described the allegations as “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.”

Relating to: How to appeal a FEMA decision regarding storm assistance?

Speaking to FOX News recently, Washington denied the allegations and claimed that he was following the orders given to him.

“Why is this happening to me? I’m the one taking down my superiors’ notes, and my notes in the (Microsoft) Teams chat were exposed by their search capacity team,” Washington said, according to FOX News. he said.