Florida sues FEMA after hurricane Milton relief workers allegedly skipped Trump supporters' homes
ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida has filed a lawsuit against the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and one of its former employees, accusing them of conspiring to deny relief to Donald Trump supporters in the wake of Hurricane Milton, which slammed the state in early October.
The lawsuit names Deanne Criswell, who has led FEMA since 2021, and Marn'i Washington, the employee who allegedly sent text messages to relief workers instructing them to avoid homes with Trump signs.
Criswell called the allegations "reprehensible" and described it as an isolated incident. Washington has since been fired from the agency. In an interview with FOX News, Washington said avoiding homes with Trump signs was part of an agency-wide policy to avoid political conflict, and that she was following orders from higher-ups. She accused the agency of scapegoating her.
It all comes as the National Hurricane Center is tracking Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean and Central America.
The Daily Wire first broke the story after obtaining alleged messages that instructed workers to avoid homes with Trump signs.
According to the lawsuit, at least 20 homes in Lake Placid were skipped due to Trump signs or visible Trump support.
"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. I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination reaches and to ensure all Americans affected by storms are served, regardless of their political affiliation," Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement.
In the lawsuit, Moody is demanding a jury trial. She is seeking nominal and punitive damages.
FEMA's 50% rule causes confusion for homeowners
Many homeowners have turned to FEMA for help recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but confusion is growing over the agency’s 50-percent rule. The rule, which applies to homes in flood-prone areas, limits repair costs to 50 percent of the home’s market value.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took to X shortly after news broke and said the state of Florida would launch its own investigation into FEMA and the alleged actions.
Prior to the lawsuit, Deanne described the allegations as "reprehensible."
"I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and action will no be tolerated at FEMA and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct."
Related: How to appeal a decision by FEMA for storm assistance
Washington spoke with FOX News recently, denying the claims, and claiming that she was following orders given to her.
"Why is this coming down on me? I am the person that jotted down the notes from my superiors and my notation in [Microsoft] Teams chat was exposed from their search capacity team," Washington said, according to FOX News.