Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem launched a new investigation into one of her own agencies after rejecting the findings of the first one.
The Department of Homeland Security said the renewed investigation uncovered “textbook political discrimination” at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, alleging that during the Biden administration, FEMA workers refused to visit homes displaying signs supporting Donald Trump.
“The federal government was withholding aid against Americans in crisis based on their political beliefs—this should horrify every American, regardless of political persuasion,” Noem said in a statement about the findings of the new DHS investigation.
But CNN revealed Wednesday that many current and former FEMA officials disagree with the investigation’s findings.
They argue that it doesn’t demonstrate a systemic problem and may be a political move by the Trump administration, given that President Donald Trump has previously pushed a rhetoric claiming the agency has been denying aid in Republican-majority areas.
“If we do something wrong, okay, hold us accountable,” one current FEMA official told CNN. “But don’t fabricate it because it meets your political narrative. That’s just bad government,” the official added.
A DHS spokesperson told the Daily Beast that the investigation was launched after FEMA’s conduct raised concerns about breaches of Americans’ privacy. “Our review found troubling patterns across multiple disasters and multiple years, not isolated examples,” the spokesperson said.
Three former senior FEMA officials revealed to CNN that the investigation was launched after DHS leaders, including Noem, were dissatisfied with a previous probe into political discrimination at FEMA.
The earlier investigation, conducted after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, found “no evidence” that FEMA discriminated against houses displaying pro-Trump support during door-to-door visits in October 2024 to assist hurricane victims.
The probe was launched after FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington allegedly instructed workers to skip homes in Florida displaying Trump signs and flags following Hurricane Milton. Washington was later fired, and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told Congress the incident was an isolated case.
The findings from the earlier investigation sharply contrast with those in last week’s report, launched by Roman Jankowski, the newly appointed head of DHS’s Privacy Office. Jankowski expanded the probe beyond the 2024 hurricane season to review data spanning the entirety of President Biden’s time in office.
“You could tell he [Roman Jankowski] had already arrived at a conclusion that FEMA as an agency needed to be severely punished, which was evident in his tone and language,” a senior FEMA official told CNN, after allegedly speaking with Jankowski about the review.
The report cites a few instances where FEMA staff mentioned “Trump” or “Biden” in their notes, but most of the so-called “partisan” entries focused on documenting gun-related signage.
FEMA officials told CNN that notes taken by field workers during door-to-door visits are typically used to alert colleagues about safety conditions. They acknowledged that some individuals may warrant investigation for potential privacy violations, but said the issue is not widespread across the agency.
Despite FEMA officials’ assurances, Trump has called for the agency to be eliminated by the end of the year and has created a FEMA Review Council to recommend changes to its operations.
Noem, who serves as co-chair of the council, has backed the president’s stance, saying the agency “should not exist the way that it always has been.”
“It’s dangerous,” former FEMA chief of staff Michael Coen, who served under the Biden and Obama administrations, told CNN about the Trump administration’s attacks on FEMA.
“The faith in FEMA has declined. When people lose their trust in the federal government in a time of need, they’re going to feel more helpless,” Coen added.
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