A Federal Emergency Management Agency employee was fired after reports that after Hurricane Milton he asked emergency responders in Florida to drive over homes with signs supporting Donald Trump, it was announced Saturday the agency.

The agency confirmed that an employee advised its survivor aid team not to go to homes displaying signs supporting Trump during rescue efforts after Milton hit the state last month as as a Category 3 hurricane. FEMA said the employee, whose name was not released, was fired. He said he believes this was an isolated incident, which is currently under investigation.

Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator, said in a statement that the employee’s conduct was “reprehensible.”

“This is a blatant violation of FEMA’s core values ​​and principles of helping people regardless of political affiliation,” she said.

Criswell added that the agency has referred the matter to an in-house counsel’s office and will do everything in its power to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

“I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people that this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA, and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct,” he said. -she declared.

The agency also said it was reaching out to people who may not have received help following the employee’s advice.

News of the FEMA employee giving emergency responders this advice was first reported by The Daily Wire.

In a post on the social platform

“Under my leadership, the Division of Emergency Management is launching an investigation into the federal government’s targeted discrimination against Floridians who support Donald Trump,” DeSantis wrote.

The destruction in Milton – which killed more than 20 people, leveled homes and knocked out power to millions in Florida – came about two weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as Category 4 storm. Helen ravaged Florida and the Southeast, triggering floods, tornadoes and mudslides, killing more than 200 people.

Early estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest that the total damage caused by Milton and Helene could cost more than $50 billion. FEMA said it helped more than 365,000 Florida households affected by the storms and provided nearly $900 million in direct aid to survivors.

But the incident involving the fired employee is likely to undermine FEMA’s efforts to combat the widespread misinformation it faces in its relief work. The agency and officials in several states have said a barrage of conspiracy theories, rumors and lies about FEMA’s response has hampered the agency’s ability to provide accurate information and crucial resources.

Among the rumors circulating on social media by prominent conservative politicians, including Trump, were false claims that if people filed an insurance claim, they would not be eligible for FEMA funding. Other baseless rumors suggested that FEMA was diverting relief funds to help pay for housing for illegal immigrants in the country. The agency has created a page on its website dedicated to debunking these claims.

On a call with reporters in October, Criswell said spreading lies made the agency a target for partisan rebukes and put lives at risk.

“It’s absolutely the worst I’ve ever seen,” she said.

Last month, a North Carolina man was arrested and charged with threatening federal emergency responders who were administering aid there after Helene’s remains ravaged parts of the state. The arrest came after FEMA ordered its employees to stop going door to door to help survivors facing various threats of violence.

This article was originally published in The New York Times. © 2024 The New York Times