Florida attorney general Ashley Moody is suing current and former officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, alleging the body discriminated against Trump supporters by passing over their homes during the emergency response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court, comes after the Daily Wire first reported last week that a FEMA supervisor directed response teams to “avoid homes advertising Trump” with MAGA signs or flags in Lake Placid, Fla. The supervisor in question, Marn’i Washington, defended the directive this week, claiming FEMA skipped those houses for safety purposes and not for political bias.
“If you look at the record, there is what we call a ‘community trend’ and unfortunately, it just so happened that the political hostility that was encountered by my teams [had] the Trump campaign signage,” she said during a Tuesday appearance on Roland Martin Unfiltered. “We omitted these homes for safety precautions — not because of political plight.”
FEMA similarly avoided homes in North Carolina and other states impacted by the two devastating hurricanes last month, Washington added. In an interview with the Washington Examiner, she claimed FEMA used her as a “scapegoat.” Following the whistleblower allegations of discrimination, Washington was fired.
“This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation,” FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell posted on X on Saturday. “This was reprehensible.”
Criswell is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday to address the agency’s efforts to deliver aid during hurricane season.
Florida also seeks to hold FEMA accountable by pursuing legal action. The lawsuit names Criswell and Washington in their individual capacities, not FEMA itself.
“FEMA workers followed these instructions and entered in a government database messages such as ‘Trump sign no entry per leadership,’” the complaint states. “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.’”
Moody, a Republican, is seeking punitive damages and asking the court to declare that the two defendants conspired to violate the civil rights of Florida residents. She also demands a trial by jury.
“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 Thursday 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.”
Governor Ron DeSantis backed Moody’s lawsuit, casting the alleged conduct as “unacceptable” and “especially egregious” following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. He called for a state investigation.
“I have instructed state agencies to likewise take any action necessary to investigate and ensure those who engaged in this behavior are held accountable,” DeSantis said.