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Former FEMA Supervisor Marn’i Washington, one of the defendants in the suit, advised her team to “avoid” Florida homes “advertising Trump.” In her first interview after the fallout, which is cited in the lawsuit, she told the Washington Examiner this guidance was encouraged and directed by her superiors and this policy was not exclusive to her teams.

The other defendant is FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who will be questioned by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at a Tuesday hearing on Capitol Hill. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages against both defendants for alleged civil rights violations against hurricane victims who were unable to receive the assistance for which they may have qualified.

Republicans demand answers and accountability

“Hurricane season is not over, and the federal agency responsible for emergency response is now accused of withholding aid from Florida storm victims based on political affiliation,” Moody said. “This lawsuit is a step toward accountability and ensuring that emergency assistance is provided fairly to all Americans, regardless of their political views.”

Moody’s lawsuit comes on the same day that scores of Republicans signed off on letters demanding answers and accountability from Criswell and FEMA on the “discriminatory guidance” to avoid houses with pro-Trump signs displayed.

One letter, led by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), signed by all 35 Republican members of the committee, demands FEMA prepare a briefing on the matter before the Nov. 19 hearing, at which Criswell will have to answer for her “failure of leadership.”

Another letter, led by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and signed by 55 current and former House Republicans, demands FEMA provide documents and information on its investigation of the matter, as well as what steps are being taken to prevent future discrimination and to help residents who were skipped during disaster relief due to their political affiliation.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), who serves as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, which oversees FEMA, told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday, “It’s reprehensible how the Biden administration weaponized FEMA to purposely deny Trump-supporting Americans critical aid and assistance during a natural disaster.”

He added, “We must hold those responsible accountable and ensure those impacted receive the assistance they are rightfully entitled to.”

‘Scapegoat’: FEMA employees speak out

In her interview with the Washington Examiner, Washington said the “avoidance” policy is meant “to keep the team safe” following hostile encounters with property owners, which she said “just so happened” to be at houses with pro-Trump signs. She said FEMA made her a “scapegoat” and demanded it release incident reports showing where the hostilities took place.

The Washington Examiner filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Homeland Security to access these reports and obtained communications confirming Washington was supported and encouraged by her superiors to avoid certain streets deemed hostile.

Washington said, “I agree with the whistleblowers” who leaked her guidance.

“They are telling you the truth,” she said but argued the real issue is FEMA employees are not given the resources and protection they need to provide help to every household.

A FEMA spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that officials continue to aid communities affected by Hurricane Helene but mentioned an October incident where threats to emergency responders prompted the agency to make operational changes out of an “abundance of caution.”

Two additional FEMA sources corroborated Washington’s claim that FEMA employees faced numerous threats during disaster recovery, resulting in help being pared back to varying extents.

“There may be a lot of people that felt the way [Washington] felt, but I don’t think anyone else out there was stupid enough to put it in writing,” one senior FEMA official told the Washington Examiner.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Moody for comment.

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