A terminated worker on the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) stated in a Monday interview that she was being “framed” for allegedly advising a survivor help group in Florida to skip properties with marketing campaign indicators in help of President-elect Trump.
In an interview on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live,” the previous company worker, Marn’i Washington, denied wrongdoing and stated she was merely following orders.
“So firstly, I’m being framed. There’s no violation of the Hatch Act. I was simply following orders,” Washington informed Abrams, when requested whether or not a part of the steering she supplied her group was to keep away from properties promoting Trump, and in that case, why.
“I did not vote for Kamala Harris so there is no political plight on my part. I was simply following orders,” she added.
Washington sought to pin blame on her supervisor.
“I execute orders. I don’t create policy. I do not reinvent the wheel. My record shows that,” Washington later stated within the interview.
Washington and FEMA Director Deanna Criswell had been named in a lawsuit filed by Florida Lawyer Normal Ashley Moody (R) final week, claiming they “agreed” to disclaim Trump supporters aid after Hurricane Milton.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court docket in Fort Pierce, Fla., asks for unspecified damages and a declaration that the 2 FEMA officers unlawfully conspired to violate Floridians’ civil rights.
“While the facts will continue to come out over the weeks and months, it is already clear that Defendant Washington conspired with senior FEMA officials, as well as those carrying out her orders, to violate the civil rights of Florida citizens,” the grievance learn.
Home Republicans have additionally opened a probe into the incident, and Criswell is slated to testify concerning the incident earlier than a Home Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee afterward Tuesday morning. The committee final week requested Criswell to temporary members on the incident and on FEMA’s response to it.
The committee additionally requested FEMA to offer paperwork and details about the company’s effort to succeed in and help properties that had been skipped due to the incident, together with different communications.
“As the FEMA Administrator, you are responsible for leading the Nation’s efforts to prepare for, protect against, and respond to natural disasters. The Committee is troubled that under your leadership FEMA failed to aid all Americans, regardless of party affiliation,” Republican Home lawmakers stated final week in a letter shared with The Hill.
Criswell confirmed the termination earlier this month and condemned the incident, saying, “This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation. This was reprehensible.”
Washington stated in an interview with journalist Roland S. Martin early final week that the federal company was scapegoating her and that properties had been skipped due to “verbal abuse” by these Trump supporters.
“They all alleged that these actions were made on my own recognizance and that it was from my own political advances. However, if you look at the record, there is what we call a community trend,” Washington stated. “And unfortunately, it just so happened that the political hostility that was encountered by my team — and I was on two different teams during this deployment — they just so happened to have the Trump campaign signage.”
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