Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody 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 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, the state Attorney General’s office is taking legal action against Washington and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and seeking punitive damages in their individual capacities – as a tropical system moves through the Caribbean.
“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 press 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.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis agrees.
“It’s unacceptable for the federal government to discriminate against Floridians who voted for Trump, and especially egregious in the aftermath of a hurricane,” he said in a press release. “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 legal complaint filed November 13 in federal court outlines the 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.
“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 states.
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, 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.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Myers Division case number 2:24-cv-14365