Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing Federal Emergency Management Agency officials alleging a conspiracy in which pro-Trump Florida hurricane victims were the objects of discrimination.
Moody said she is taking “swift action” by filing a complaint that claims the civil rights of Trump supporters were violated, according to a news release on her website. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Earlier this month, the Daily Wire published a report revealing that at least one Federal Emergency Management Agency official had directed her workers not to canvas any homes that belonged to Trump supporters in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
A supervisor identified as Marn’i Washington was promptly let go and FEMA said it was an isolated incident.
Washington later said the incident was “not isolated. This is a colossal event of avoidance, not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas.
“Senior leadership will lie to you and tell you that they do not know, but if you ask the [Disaster Survivor Assistance] crew leads and specialists what they are experiencing in the field, they will tell you,” she said.
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… https://t.co/yyhskNAuIi
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) November 14, 2024
Moody said punishing Trump supporters was flat-out discrimination.
“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 her release.
“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,” Moody said in her release.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was “unacceptable for the federal government to discriminate against Floridians who voted for Trump, and especially egregious in the aftermath of a hurricane”
The complaint alleged that discriminating against Trump supporters was FEMA’s post-hurricane policy.
The complaint noted that Washington has said that “senior FEMA officials claiming not to know that the agency was discriminating against Trump supporters are promoting a ‘lie.’”
“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, as well as those carrying out her orders, to violate the civil rights of Florida citizens,” the complaint said.
“FEMA workers followed these instructions and entered in a government database messages such as ‘Trump sign no entry per leadership,’” the complaint said.
“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,’” the complaint said.
The complaint alleged that other federal agencies followed FEMA’s lead and did not attempt to assist Trump supporters.
