FEMA chief throws colleague under the bus for skipping hurricane-ravaged Trump supporters in startling testimony

The apical authoritative astatine FEMA threw a erstwhile workfellow nether the autobus aft outrage that the bureau skipped assisting hurricane-ravaged houses if they had pro-Donald Trump signs.

Administrator Deanne Criswell insisted Tuesday that quality of an worker directing exigency unit to skip Florida houses with signs supporting erstwhile president Donald Trump aft Hurricane Milton was an isolated incident.

FEMA worker Marn’i Washington was fired aft a substance concatenation was leaked that showed her instructing colleagues to 'avoid' houses that had Trump signs successful their yards.

In response, Washington went nationalist successful a bid of interviews accusing FEMA officials of 'lying' astir the scandal, and making her the scapegoat of a wider practice.

But Criswell said the blasted lays squarely with Washington, the fired employee. She appeared successful beforehand of 2 House committees connected Tuesday to attest astir the incident, which she called 'completely astatine odds' astatine the ngo of FEMA that 'would not beryllium tolerated.'

'I bash not judge that this employee's actions are indicative of immoderate wide taste problems astatine FEMA,' she said.

But House Republicans were much skeptical, relying connected Washington's caller media appearances to suggest determination was much to the communicative than conscionable 1 worker that FEMA described arsenic 'rogue' and not successful enactment with bureau practices.   

Criswell told members of legislature astatine the House Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee proceeding that she would petition an probe from the Inspector General to marque definite the signifier was not being conducted elsewhere successful the department.

In a connection to staff, Washington told workers to 'avoid homes advertizing Trump' arsenic archetypal reported by the Daily Wire, which resulted successful staffers skipping definite addresses and noting it successful their system. 

'Trump motion nary introduction per leadership,' the recorded responses read. 

Criswell confirmed that 20 homes were skipped arsenic a effect of Washington's guidance to staff. 

Under questioning from Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Criswell admitted she had not spoken with the homeowners who were skipped by FEMA. 

'I person not talked to them personally, I person an full squad that focuses connected this probe and that's what they are doing,' she said.  

Florida Congressman Byron Donalds questioned Criswell astir reporting from the New York Post, citing an anonymous root successful FEMA who described the signifier of skipping 'white oregon blimpish dominated disasters zones' altogether arsenic 'an unfastened concealed for years.' 

Criswell said she would proceed investigating the incidental to marque definite it was not happening anyplace other successful the department. 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-FL, asked Criswell whether oregon not Washington's supervisor Chad Hershey was being investigated.

'I volition perpetrate that anybody who has taken actions to politically discriminate against radical that were impacted by this catastrophe volition person the due disciplinary enactment to see termination,' she replied.

The ungraded rocked FEMA conscionable arsenic officials blamed 'misinformation' for reports that the bureau was not doing capable to assistance tempest victims successful agrarian North Carolina. Despite disapproval from tempest victims, President Joe Biden praised Criswell for FEMAs hurricane response.

'Deanne, you're doing a hellhole of a job,' Biden said to her during a briefing connected hurricane response.