A whistleblower alleges that a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contractor pressured an elderly veteran’s family in Georgia to remove pro-Trump campaign materials from their property, said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Tuesday.
Comer shared the details in a post on X, previously known as Twitter. He described the incident as part of a pattern of political bias within FEMA. The incident reportedly occurred earlier in October and involved a contractor who allegedly said that displaying Trump materials could be unfavorably viewed by FEMA.
“My staff just made contact with a new whistleblower who provided a credible account that a FEMA contractor visited the home of an elderly disabled veteran’s family around October 10. While there, he recommended that the family remove Trump campaign materials and signs from their house and yard, stating that his FEMA supervisors view Trump supporters as domestic terrorists,” Comer wrote.
Rep. @Jim_Jordan grills FEMA Director Deanne Criswell about the text telling disaster relief workers to avoid homes whose residents advertised support for @realDonaldTrump. @DailyCallerpic.twitter.com/cEBPFZDa80
— Harold Hutchison (@HaroldHutchison) November 19, 2024
“The elderly homeowners were so frightened by this and afraid that they would not recover their loss that they removed the signs. Nevertheless, FEMA has not returned to their residence. This took place not in Florida, but Georgia.”
The latest whistleblower account adds to a growing list of allegations against FEMA after reports emerged that a FEMA supervisor, identified as Marn’i Washington, allegedly instructed aid workers in Florida to bypass the homes of Trump supporters while distributing assistance after Hurricane Milton. The claims included internal communications and a screenshot of a leadership flowchart pointing to Washington’s involvement.
Earlier Tuesday, Republican New York Rep. Marc Molinaro pressed FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell over allegations that the agency prioritized aiding illegal immigrants over American citizens in disaster response. Molinaro cited records showing FEMA allocated nearly $1 billion to assist with the migrant crisis while struggling to fund hurricane recovery efforts. Molinaro asked Criswell to address what he called “absurd” funding decisions.
