The Federal Emergency Management Agency has caved in a fight with its own staff, ordering them back to work after they were put on leave for railing against ICE Barbie Kristi Noem’s leadership, according to Bloomberg.
Almost 200 FEMA employees signed an open letter in August, condemning Noem and Donald Trump’s disaster response plans, or lack of. They were placed on leave and grilled by an internal goon squad of investigators, the publication stated.
The dissenters, most of whom signed the document anonymously, demanded that Congress protect workers from “politically motivated firings” at the agency, which is under the umbrella of Noem’s Department of Homeland Security. Several, reportedly 14, were placed on administrative leave the following day.
Now, in an embarrassing U-turn for Noem, they have been called back, Bloomberg reports. “I am very glad that I’m officially cleared of wrongdoing and that I get to be back at work and see my co-workers after three months,” said Abby McIlraith, an emergency management specialist, ahead of her return to work on Monday.
David Seide, a lawyer for the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, said that FEMA ceased its investigation last week, ordering the group to return to work.
The 194 signatories argued that the Trump administration’s cuts to the agency have weakened its ability to respond to disasters. The release of the letter was timed to fall on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and comes after Noem was criticized for her agency’s response to flooding in Texas in July that killed over 130 people.
The document cited a new level of bureaucracy imposed by Noem that slowed the response to that crisis. Noem must personally sign off on all DHS contracts and grants over $100,000, the rule states.
That added layer of bureaucracy was blamed for delaying the approval of vital federal aid for flood-ravaged parts of Texas. “Our shared commitment to our country, our oaths of office, and our mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters compel us to warn Congress and the American people of the cascading effects of decisions made by the current administration,” it read, in part.
The Daily Beast has contacted FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
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