FEMA Supervisor Lied About Threats To Get Workers To Skip Trump Homes, Special Counsel Finds

Fired FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington lied about her instructions in Florida for relief workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump,” according to a complaint filed by the Office of Special Counsel. 

The Office of Special Council filed a complaint against Washington on Tuesday, recommending that she face further disciplinary action over her guidance to skip the homes of Trump supporters in Lake Placid, Florida. The OSC found that the instructions, which were first reported on by The Daily Wire, were not based on any credible threats reported against FEMA workers as Washington claimed. 

“Washington’s instruction on October 22 to avoid homes with Trump 2024 campaign signage was not based upon any reported safety concerns from Crew 33 because, at that time, Crew 33 had not yet begun canvassing,” the OSC said in its complaint, filed to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. 

As a result of Washington’s guidance, workers skipped over 20 homes while responding to Hurricane Milton’s damage in Lake Placid. 

Washington faces two counts of violating the Hatch Act, including one count of engaging in political activity while on duty and one count of using one’s official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election. 

The special counsel’s findings undermine Washington’s claim that she issued the instructions because of threats from Trump supporters to FEMA workers. 

“There were no reports in Highlands County of safety concerns at properties with Trump 2024 campaign signs,” OSC attorney Eric Johnson wrote in the complaint. “No member of Crew 33 made a written report of any safety concerns at a property with Trump 2024 campaign signage.”

Additionally, Johnson said that none of Washington’s daily reports to FEMA noted any concerns about properties with Trump flags or signs. 

The complaint sheds light on other aspects of the incident, confirming that the guidance was repeated multiple times from October 22 until October 26. Five different relief workers noted that they were unable to stop by a home due to a Trump sign from October 22-27.

Crew members reported the instructions as early as October 24, but FEMA did not contact Washington until October 29, according to the complaint. Johnson said that Washington “denied” issuing the guidance, saying that they only skipped properties that had signs saying people would shoot on sight. 

“My team has registered Trump supporters however, we’ve avoided the Trump supporters that have signage stating they’ll shoot us onsite [sic],” she wrote in an email, according to the complaint. 

Washington was demobilized around November 7 and fired on November 9, one day after The Daily Wire broke the story featuring whistleblower testimony.