Florida sued the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) director and an worker who was fired for telling a survivor help crew after Hurricane Milton to not go to houses displaying indicators supporting President-elect Trump’s candidacy.
Ashley Moody, the state’s Republican legal professional common, alleged FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell “agreed” to disclaim Trump supporters aid alongside the terminated worker, Marn’i Washington.
“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,” reads the grievance.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday 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.
“It’s unacceptable for the federal government to discriminate against Floridians who voted for Trump, and especially egregious in the aftermath of a hurricane,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) mentioned in an announcement.
“I’m supportive of this legal action by the Attorney General’s Office, and I have instructed state agencies to likewise take any action necessary to investigate and ensure those who engaged in this behavior are held accountable.”
The Hill has reached out to FEMA for touch upon the lawsuit. Washington couldn’t be reached for remark.
Criswell publicly confirmed the worker’s termination on Saturday and condemned the incident.
“This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation. This was reprehensible,” Criswell mentioned in an announcement.
In an interview with journalist Roland S. Martin, Washington mentioned FEMA was scapegoating her. It was frequent observe for groups to skip sure streets after previous “hostile” interactions, she mentioned.
“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. 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,” Washington mentioned.
“FEMA always preaches avoidance first and then de-escalation. So this is not isolated. This is a colossal event of avoidance,” she added.
The lawsuit was assigned to U.S. District Choose Donald Middlebrooks, an appointee of former President Clinton, the case docket exhibits.
