Florida Sues FEMA
The State of Florida has taken legal action against FEMA, filing a lawsuit that accuses the agency of politically biased disaster relief following the fallout from Hurricane Milton. The suit, led by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, charges that FEMA Director Deanne Criswell and former FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington colluded to prevent Trump-supporting residents in Lake Placid, Florida, from receiving federal hurricane assistance based on their political beliefs.
This lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Pierce Division, has spurred a high-profile clash over claims of political discrimination within federal disaster relief.
The controversy erupted after The Daily Wire revealed that Washington allegedly directed relief workers to skip over homes displaying Trump flags or signs when checking in on storm-affected residents for potential assistance. Following the report, Washington was promptly fired, and Criswell condemned her actions, insisting they were not representative of FEMA’s values. However, Moody’s lawsuit argues otherwise, alleging that this directive reflects an orchestrated political bias at the agency, with senior officials aware of the actions despite public denials.
According to the lawsuit, whistleblowers claimed that as they canvassed Lake Placid for residents in need, they were instructed to bypass homes with Trump-related displays, noting “Trump sign no entry per leadership” in FEMA records. Moody argues that this directive—if corroborated—constitutes a civil rights violation against Florida residents, depriving them of federal aid based on political beliefs.
“Hurricane season is not over, and the federal agency in charge of emergency response is embroiled in scandal – caught withholding aid from storm victims in Florida who support President Trump,” Moody said. She emphasized the urgency of ensuring impartial disaster response, calling for a “full account” of how pervasive this policy might be.
Central to the lawsuit is a recent interview Washington gave to Roland Martin Unfiltered, where she claimed that FEMA has a general policy of avoiding “politically hostile” homes to ensure worker safety. Washington argued that her instructions to avoid Trump-supporting homes were consistent with broader FEMA guidance, particularly in “politically hostile” environments. In her statement, she also alleged that similar practices occurred in North Carolina and other areas hit by recent hurricanes. Criswell, however, dismissed Washington’s claims as an isolated incident, stating that this behavior “will not be tolerated at FEMA.”
The lawsuit also has the backing of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who underscored the importance of nonpartisan aid, especially in times of disaster.
“It’s unacceptable for the federal government to discriminate against Floridians who voted for Trump, and especially egregious in the aftermath of a hurricane,” DeSantis stated, pledging support for the lawsuit and announcing an internal investigation by Florida’s Division of Emergency Management. He also called for additional accountability measures to ensure that FEMA operates without bias in future disaster relief efforts.
With the lawsuit now underway, Moody has asked the court to award damages to the affected Floridians and issue a declaration that FEMA’s actions violated their civil rights. She has also pushed for a thorough investigation into whether political discrimination permeated other FEMA operations in storm-affected states.