Florida Sues FEMA for 'Conspiring' to Deny Disaster Relief to

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The state of Florida is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for “conspiring” against the civil rights of Trump supporters. The suit alleges that now-fired FEMA field supervisor Marn’i Washington and FEMA Director Deanne Criswell conspired to deny assistance to storm-damaged homes of people with Trump flags or yard signs when canvassing residences in Lake Placid, Fla., to see if they qualified for federal hurricane assistance.

“While the facts will continue to come out over the weeks and months, it is already clear that Defendant Washington conspired with senior FEMA officials, as well as those carrying out her orders, to violate the civil rights of Florida citizens,” the suit says.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed the suit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

“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 in a statement. “I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination reaches and to make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served, regardless of their political affiliation.”

FEMA has been caught in a lie and is now going to pay for it. Criswell assured the public that what Field Supervisor Washington was describing, as far as FEMA bypassing damaged homes with Trump signs, was an “isolated incident.” In an interview with podcaster Roland Martin, Washington said it was widespread practice to bypass Trump supporters.

Daily Wire:

Moody asked FEMA to award damages to the defendants and for the court to declare that the agency had violated the civil rights of Floridians.

FEMA told The Daily Wire that it does not comment on pending litigation, and pointed to a statement from Criswell condemning the guidance to skip Trump homes.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that he backed the lawsuit and has announced that the state’s Division of Emergency Management is also investigating the incident.

This is real banana republic stuff, something you might expect from Cuba or Nicaragua. Not the United States. At least, that used to be true. Joe Biden has politicized and weaponized the federal government to a degree that was previously unknown.

Moody said in a statement that the lawsuit is meant to “find out how far this political discrimination reaches and to make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served.”

Tampa Bay Times:

Moody is asking the court to determine that FEMA conspired to interfere with the civil rights of Florida citizens, and is seeking both nominal and punitive damages.

A FEMA spokesperson declined to comment on the pending litigation and pointed to Criswell’s public statements that says the federal agency will continue to hold people accountable if they violate the agency’s standards of conduct.

The complaint goes on to say, “FEMA workers followed these instructions and entered in a government database messages such as ‘Trump sign no entry per leadership.’ According to whistleblowers, ‘at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags’ in Lake Placid, Florida ‘were skipped from the end of October and into November due to the guidance.’”

What does FEMA expect from people whose homes and lives are in ruins and a disaster relief person shows up two or three weeks later? Do they expect residents to offer them a cup of coffee and a smile?

Yes, people are going to be angry. They’re going to scream at FEMA people. If the FEMA employees can’t stand the gaffe, maybe they should get another government job. Instead of babying them and coddling them by telling them to avoid politically charged situations, train them how to handle the crisis.

Otherwise, they should go home to their mothers and ask for a hug.