XPost: law.court.federal, fl.politics, alt.government.employees
XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, sac.politics

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sued FEMA officials Thursday for allegedly neglecting hurricane victims in households supporting
President-elect Trump.

Driving the news: The lawsuit comes after a series of claims that the
federal agency has a bias against Republicans and is diverting funds
meant for natural disaster cleanup to house migrants.

Trump was among those who amplified the claims, which gained enough
traction that FEMA created a web page to address the misinformation
swirling online.
The big picture: The lawsuit alleges that FEMA directed current and
former employees to "ignore" homes "that displayed Trump signs or
flags" when providing disaster relief, according to a press release
from Moody's office.

The complaint includes a report from conservative news outlet The Daily
Wire that alleges FEMA supervisor Marn'i Washington directed emergency
response workers to "avoid homes advertising Trump."
The Daily Wire report also contains a screenshot of a Microsoft Teams
message sent to FEMA and Department of Homeland Security workers. The
message listed 'best practices' for the team to use when engaging with community members impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
According to the complaint, at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags
in Lake Placid, Florida, were skipped in October and November because
of the guidance issued after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Moody said in a statement that the lawsuit is meant to "find out how
far this political discrimination reaches and to make sure all
Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served."
What they're saying: These actions were "a clear violation" of FEMA's
values and principles, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said on X
over the weekend.

"This was reprehensible," she said. "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."
A spokesperson for FEMA said it does not comment on pending litigation.
Behind the scenes: Washington, who has since been fired from the
agency, said in an interview with Fox News that the action was
protocol, as officials are directed to avoid hostility while providing
aid.

Washington added that she has become a scapegoat for the agency.
"This was the culture," she said. "They were already avoiding these
homes based on community trends from hostile political encounters. It
has nothing to do with the campaign sign. It just so happened to be
part of a community trend."
Washington said that targeting specific homes based on their political
leanings would violate the Hatch Act, which is meant to ensure that
federal employees act in a nonpartisan way.
"Not only are these actions by a FEMA employee completely unacceptable,
but the Committee remains deeply concerned that this is not an isolated incident at the agency," House Committee on Oversight and
Accountability chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a statement on
Tuesday.

What's next: Criswell will appear before the House Committee on
Oversight and Accountability on Nov. 19 to address the agency's effort
to deliver aid.

Committee chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced the hearing on
Tuesday, following the discrimination reports.

https://www.axios.com/2024/11/14/florida-fema-hurricane-lawsuit-aid- trump-supporters

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