Grassley Slams FEMA for Selective Distribution of Aid, Demands Accountability for Partisanship

Grassley Slams FEMA for Selective Distribution of Aid, Demands Accountability for Partisanship

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA - U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today wrote the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) seeking answers amid reports federal hurricane relief employees were instructed to skip homes promoting then-candidate Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Grassley is demanding to know whether partisan conduct may be part of a broader trend at FEMA, contrary to its taxpayer-supported mission.

"FEMA workers instructed a team responding to hurricane survivors to avoid homes with yard signs showing support for President Trump," Grassley wrote. "Because of this directive, reportedly, at least 20 homes in Florida with Trump signs were not given the opportunity to qualify for FEMA assistance."

"Politicization of who receives FEMA assistance is unacceptable, especially as the people affected by these disasters attempt to put their lives back together. The American people deserve a more robust and detailed explanation of this problem and FEMA's plans to fix it," he concluded.

In light of these allegations, Grassley is calling on FEMA to:

• Provide records of
  • All policies related to FEMA's disaster assistance avoidance decision-making process and recorded rationale for avoided homes;
  • All incident reports from the last five years and internal communications referencing Trump and other politically-related language;
  • FEMA supervisors who gave, approved or were aware of directives to avoid homes with Trump signs or identified as conservative.
• Address a former FEMA official's claim that, "the practice of skipping Trump-supporting houses is an open secret at the agency that has been going on for years."
• Describe FEMA's plans to ensure federal employees are not instructed to engage in partisan and discriminatory conduct.

Read Grassley's full letter HERE.

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