On September 24, as what would become Hurricane Helene was bearing down on the west coast of Florida, state emergency preparedness officials in the impact areas were readying their resources, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency was preparing to show up with “$750 checks” and billions in federal resources.

When the hurricane hit on September 26, nobody anticipated the swath of inland deaths and destruction it would leave behind in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, among other states.

That tragedy was followed two weeks later by Hurricane Milton, another massive storm that swept across central Florida.

You may be aware that during recent Hurricane Milton assessment and cleanup operations in Florida, a FEMA supervisory official told crews to skip houses with Donald Trump presidential signs. In a message to those involved on the ground after Milton, that supervisor brazenly issued an order, both in group chats and messages, advising to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” In assessment progress messages, the inspectors noted, “Trump sign no entry per leadership.”

In a complaint filed with the Department of Homeland Security about the Trump directive, one of the team members noted, “If they had damage or lost power for over thirty-six hours, it was my duty to inform them of benefits to which they are entitled through FEMA.”

One of the volunteers making assessments declared: “When we got there, we were told to discriminate against people. It’s almost unbelievable to think that somebody in the federal government would think that’s okay. I volunteered to help disaster victims, not discriminate against them. It didn’t matter if people were black, white, Hispanic, for Trump, for Harris. Everyone deserves the same amount of help.”

For its part, FEMA responded: “While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again. The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident. … We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels. Helping people is what we do best and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes.”

Of course, in this era of federal deep state political hacks opposed to Trump, there have been now-countless “personal initiatives” to undermine anything and everything Trump-related, with “no authority” and “no direction” from above. The most insidious of these Trump attacks have gone unpunished because they were perpetrated by small corrupt cadres at the highest levels of both the FBI and CIA, with assists from some other agencies. And given the examples set by those high-level folks, including FBI Director James Comey and CIA Director John Brennan, it is understandable that those at lower levels of the bureaucracies assumed they could take action against Trump with impunity.

And that, apparently, is what FEMA supervisor Marn'i Washington may have assumed in late October when she issued her edicts about withholding services to Trump supporters — that she could do so with impunity. She likely embraces a fear of Trump supporters – meaning a fear of most citizens in Florida – likely the result of the chronic Trump Derangement Syndrome that manifests among many Demos in federal bureaucracies.

According to Washington, avoiding the Trump houses in Florida and other states was about personal safety: “FEMA preaches avoidance first, and then de-escalation. This is not isolated. This is a colossal event of avoidance. Not just in the state of Florida. You will find avoidance in the Carolinas. Senior leadership will lie to you and tell you that they do not know, but if you ask the [Disaster Survivor Assistance] crew leads and specialists what they’re experiencing in the field, they will tell you. … We omitted these homes for safety precautions, not because of political play.”

Asked for an example of “political hostility” by Trump supporters, Washington said: “Not all Floridians have been unpleasant but for the most part, the ones who are very passionate about their disdain for FEMA, have no problem expressing it. People will tell you ‘I don’t like FEMA, that’s part of the Biden-Harris campaign, you’re lying to people, you’re not helping people.’”

The problem is not that Washington was concerned for the safety of those in the field, the problem is that she harbors a bias that is so endemic to her bureaucratic culture that she is oblivious to it. I wonder what Washington, a black woman, would think if a white supervisor issued an order not to go into homes owned by black citizens, because a grossly disproportionate amount of violence is committed by black people.

Arguably, Washington’s actions are a reflection of a larger systemic political bias and corruption within some agencies, including FEMA.

With Trump now the president-elect, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed that Marn'i Washington has been fired. “This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation,” Criswell said. “This employee has been terminated and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel. I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again.”

The fact that FEMA fired Washington is amazing for two reasons. First, it is a full acknowledgment of this corruption. Second, it demonstrates that federal employees can actually be fired for malfeasance. But the real questions are: Was this an isolated case? (No.) And how far up the chain of command does this corrupt mindset exist? (Far.)

Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, has requested that Criswell testify before Congress on November 19 to determine how wide and deep these edicts ran.

Before she gets there, she might also want to review similar edicts issued in late October in East Tennessee and North Carolina after the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene.

As we noted in early October in “Is FEMA FUBAR?” we had already received reports of FEMA supervisors warning personnel to avoid properties with Trump campaign signs in both states because those locations may pose an increased risk of personal injury. I can assure you those “Trump people” were, and remain, on the frontlines of assisting others in need.

To that end, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has asked Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to review if similar edicts were issued in our state. “FEMA exists to serve all Americans, and these actions have eroded the people’s trust by failing to deliver desperately needed relief to all survivors,” according to Lee.“ Americans should never have the government weaponized against them.” He echoed that condemnation after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared of the targeted political retribution in his state, “The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days.”

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776

(Updated)

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