Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell mentioned Tuesday she would name for an Workplace of Inspector Basic (OIG) investigation into an worker directing personnel to bypass homes with Trump marketing campaign indicators in the course of the federal response to Hurricane Milton.
Testifying earlier than the Home Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Financial Growth, Public Buildings and Emergency Administration on Tuesday, Criswell reiterated that she had ensured the worker was fired over the order, which she referred to as “completely at odds with FEMA’s mission” and that such orders “will not be tolerated at FEMA.”
Criswell mentioned she didn’t imagine the orders, directed to an 11-person crew, have been indicative of wider practices and mentioned that every one the residences bypassed because of this had since been visited.
Subcommittee Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.) referred to assertions by the fired worker that she was following orders from supervisors at FEMA and requested for particulars of the inner investigation in addition to any pending OIG investigation.
“The IG has not of yet stated they want to investigate this, but I highly encourage them to take on this case and look and see if this was a widespread issue or if this was just a single incident,” Criswell mentioned. Pressed by Perry on whether or not the investigation included the worker’s former superiors, Criswell mentioned the investigation had to date discovered no proof that the orders have been dictated from any larger up the chain of command.
“I would welcome an investigation by the IG,” she added, clarifying, “I will request one” when Perry adopted up.
Criswell is slated to testify later Tuesday earlier than the Home Oversight Committee concerning the identical difficulty.
Marn’i Washington, the fired worker, advised NewsNation’s Dan Abrams on Monday she had been “framed” and denied violating the Hatch Act, which restricts political exercise by authorities staff. She went on to assert, “I execute orders. I don’t create policy.”
