The House Oversight Committee is calling for an investigation into the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after the employee who told Florida hurricane relief workers to avoid a home displaying a President Trump flag was fired. It started.
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, answers questions to FEMA Administrator Dean Criswell on Saturday about the agency's response to Hurricanes Helen and Milton. He announced that he had sent a letter requesting him to testify at the hearing. .
In his letter, Comer said the hearing was a result of “recent reports that FEMA officials directed relief workers to detour around hurricane-impacted homes displaying President Trump campaign signs. The committee will be able to investigate the matter.”
“In the wake of recent catastrophes that have affected Americans against all political beliefs, it is critical that FEMA remains committed to its disaster relief mission,” he wrote.
FEMA officials tell hurricane relief workers to avoid homes with Trump signs as officials conduct cleanup efforts
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was called to testify before a House committee after it was revealed that agency officials directed hurricane relief workers to fly over houses with President Trump signs. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
The oversight committee's investigation comes after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that he would launch an investigation into the agency.
“The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is another reason the Biden-Harris administration is coming to an end,” DeSantis said. “At my direction, the Office of Emergency Management will begin an investigation targeting federal discrimination against Floridians who support Donald Trump.”
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“New leadership is on its way to Washington, D.C., and I'm optimistic that these partisan bureaucrats will be fired.”
A tattered President Trump flag amidst destruction from Hurricane Helen in Florida. (Office of Representative Kat Cammack)
The investigation began immediately after FEMA confirmed to Fox News Digital that officials had instructed aid workers not to provide relief to residents with Trump campaign signs on their homes. The Daily Wire first reported.
FEMA official fired for directing hurricane relief from Trump supporter's home
“We take seriously our mission to help everyone before, during and after a disaster. This employee has been terminated and we have referred this matter to the Office of the Special Counsel,” Criswell said. said. “We will continue to do everything in our power to prevent something like this from happening again.”
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A FEMA spokesperson told Fox News on Friday that the agency was “extremely disturbed” by the actions of its employees and called it an “isolated incident.”
“FEMA supports all survivors, regardless of political preference or affiliation,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“The employee who provided this guidance was not authorized to do so and was not given instructions to direct the team to avoid these homes. We are in contact,” the spokesperson added. The agency has assisted more than 365,000 families affected by both Hurricanes Helen and Milton. in florida and provided nearly $900 million in direct aid to survivors. ”
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“We are horrified that this has happened and have taken extreme action to rectify this situation and work to ensure this issue is addressed at all levels.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to FEMA for comment.
