From Staff Reports

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sued FEMA officials on Nov. 14 for allegedly neglecting hurricane victims in households supporting President-elect Donald Trump, according to a Nov. 14 press release from Moody’s office.

Specifically, the release stated that Moody’s office “is taking legal action against current and former Federal Emergency Management Agency officials for conspiracy to discriminate against Florida hurricane victims who support President-elect Donald Trump. 

“According to whistleblower reports, FEMA workers in Lake Placid were directed to ignore storm victims in households that displayed Trump signs or flags. 

“In an interview following these damning revelations, fired FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington claimed political discrimination by FEMA is not an isolated event and occurred across the country. 

“To hold the agency accountable for violating the civil rights of Floridians, Attorney General Moody is taking legal action against Washington and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and seeking punitive damages in their individual capacities — as a tropical system develops south of Florida,” the release noted.. 

To that end, Moody said in the release, “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 make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served, regardless of their political affiliation.”

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was quoted in the release as saying:

“It’s unacceptable for the federal government to discriminate against Floridians who voted for Trump, and especially egregious in the aftermath of a hurricane. I’m supportive of this legal action by the Attorney General’s Office, and I have instructed state agencies to likewise take any action necessary to investigate and ensure those who engaged in this behavior are held accountable.”

The release added, “The legal complaint outlines the terrible facts of the civil rights violations following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The complaint includes a message from Washington directing workers to ‘avoid homes advertising Trump.’

“While FEMA fired Washington and called the behavior ‘reprehensible,’ Washington insists that the agency is using her as a ‘scapegoat,’ and stated that similar conduct occurred in North Carolina and throughout other areas affected by Helene and Milton. The complaint states: “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 to violate the civil rights of Florida citizens.”

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.’”

“Through this legal action, Attorney General Moody is asking the court to declare that the defendants conspired to interfere with the civil rights of Floridians who support Trump in violation of the deprivation clause and the support or advocacy clause of 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3). The legal action also seeks nominal and punitive damages against the defendants in their individual capacities,” Moody’s release stated.

As for the lawsuit, Axios, a website widely rated as “lean left,” reported the following:

“The big picture: The lawsuit alleges that FEMA directed current and former employees to ‘ignore’ homes ‘that displayed Trump signs or flags’ when providing disaster relief...

“The complaint includes a report from conservative news outlet The Daily Wire that alleges FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington directed emergency response workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”

The Daily Wire report also contains a screenshot of a Microsoft Teams message sent to FEMA and Department of Homeland Security workers. The message listed ‘best practices’ for the team to use when engaging with community members impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

According to the complaint, at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags in Lake Placid, Florida, were skipped in October and November because of the guidance issued after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”

Axios added, “A spokesperson for FEMA said it does not comment on pending litigation.”