It is officially undeniable. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed to the House committee in her testimony today that yes, homes were skipped over by FEMA teams in Florida after Hurricane Milton due to their political signage.

While this first hearing yielded the typical grandstanding by House members, Criswell had little to say beyond insisting that there was not a “widespread cultural problem” within FEMA itself.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell addresses the shocking reports of FEMA leaders instructing staff to bypass homes with Trump signs:

"I do not believe that this employee's actions are indicative of any widespread cultural problems at FEMA." pic.twitter.com/oQifqi1JAT

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) November 19, 2024

Her proof of that is that she fired Marn’i Washington – but remember, she only did so AFTER the exposé by The Daily Wire went public. Criswell admitted that FEMA officials learned about the actions of Washington via a whistleblower report on October 28th, but that she herself didn’t know about it until November 7th, and she fired Washington on November 9th. She has also now said that she will ask for an Inspector General investigation into what happened in Florida.

It’s clear that Criswell is pinning the whole thing on Washington. She may be committing to an IG investigation now, but her job hinges on everyone believing that Washington was the proverbial “bad apple” who had to go.

Marn’i Washington, on the other hand, is refusing to play along. She has now given multiple interviews where she firmly expresses her belief that she interpreted the FEMA directives correctly, and insists that she is being scapegoated so FEMA can save face.

In an interview on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live,” the former agency employee, Marn’i Washington, denied wrongdoing.

“So firstly, I’m being framed. There’s no violation of the Hatch Act. I was simply following orders,” Washington told Abrams, when asked whether part of the guidance she offered her team was to avoid homes advertising Trump, and if so, why.

“I did not vote for Kamala Harris, so there is no political plight on my part. I was simply following orders,” she added.

Washington sought to pin blame on her supervisor.

“I execute orders. I don’t create policy. I do not reinvent the wheel. My record shows that,” Washington later said in the interview.

And Washington is pointing a finger.

BREAKING: FEMA worker who was fired for instructing members to skip hurricane victims’ homes if they had pro-Trump signs says she was instructed to avoid certain communities that were labeled “political hostile territory” by the Biden administration

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 19, 2024

In an interview given to CNN just yesterday, Washington also called out Criswell directly.

Washington said FEMA’s guidelines to relief workers in Florida were to remove themselves from hostile situations if they felt threatened or unsafe.

“I did not act on my own volition. Everything we did was out of the focus of safety and making sure our team felt comfortable,” Washington told Coates. “I don’t create policy. FEMA does. I just implement it in the field.”

Asked if her relief team avoided all homes with Trump signs, Washington said, “It was only selected areas where there were teammates that felt uncomfortable, they did not feel safe and they feared for their safety.”

“We registered Trump supporters, we’ve given them service as well, just we avoided the areas that were hostile,” she added.

“It would be nice if Ms. Criswell would be human and come to terms with the fact that FEMA has not addressed the safety concerns that the crew leads and the specialists experience out in the Field,” Washington said. “There are plenty of reports that discuss hostile encounters, is how FEMA describes it, and our method is avoidance. I don’t understand why we’re hiding that from the American people.”

Washington said she has not been asked to appear before lawmakers herself, but that she would be willing to do so.

Marn’i Washington, in these interviews, comes off as someone who believes that she did nothing wrong, and that she interpreted what the FEMA directives were for the “safety and comfort” of the employees under her. Let’s pick this apart a little. Washington keeps insisting that FEMA tells workers to “de-escalate” and avoid “hostile” situations. Previously, she said a “hostile” situation could be something as simple as someone saying that they don’t like FEMA. These teams are going into areas that have just suffered devastating and catastrophic damage, altering people’s lives and livelihoods, and she keeps insisting that her team must be “comfortable.” Call me crazy, but this particular job is not SUPPOSED to be “comfortable.” We, as a society, have developed a warped sense of “safety” and “comfort” and expect them to be one and the same. FEMA is approaching people in one of the most stressful moments of their lives, but if they feel “uncomfortable,” then too bad for the people on the ground?

THAT is the “widespread cultural problem” that Administrator Criswell is missing. This isn’t necessarily about political bias, although it definitely plays a part and must be investigated by the IG at this point. The problem is that federal employees (and many in the private sector as well) have equated “safety” with being “comfortable,” and any real or perceived discomfort is cause to not do their job properly, or avoid doing their job at all. These FEMA employees, Washington included, seem to think that meeting people in their moment of great need should be “comfortable” FOR THE FEMA EMPLOYEES INVOLVED. Stress, pain, and suffering of others be damned – those people WILL welcome FEMA with gratitude and open arms, because God forbid Marn’i Washington’s team feel one iota of hostility or discomfort. And if you don’t, or if they think you won’t because of the sign on your lawn in support of a certain political candidate? No federal assistance for you!

It’s much easier to focus on the political element of this situation because, after all, how would an Inspector General’s report quantify “comfort” for FEMA employees? But if Criswell was really honest, she would acknowledge that Washington is correct, and “the method is avoidance.” Perhaps not solely for political affiliations, but for any perceived discomfort on the part of an employee. We do not have a federal bureaucracy that works for all taxpayers when federal employees are allowed to shrink back and say “ooooh, that person makes me feel uncomfortable and I don’t want to serve them.” So yes, Administrator Criswell, you DO have a “widespread cultural problems.” Your employees are focused on their personal comfort, not doing the job, and FEMA instructions then allowed supervisors like Marn’i Washington to interpret that de-escalation policy however they pleased. And that is unacceptable for a federal agency that is supposed to be serving the public in their worst moments.

Featured image via Bill Koplitz on Wikimedia Commons from the FEMA Photo Library archives, cropped, public domain