The Federal Emergency Management Agency has reversed course after reportedly caving to pressure from its own staff, ordering them back to work after they were put on leave for criticizing ICE Barbie Kristi Noem’s leadership.
Almost 200 FEMA employees signed an open letter in August, condemning Noem and President Donald Trump’s disaster response plans, or lack thereof. A group of 14, those who put their names to it, were placed on leave and grilled by an internal goon squad of investigators because of the petition, dubbed the “Katrina Declaration.”
Reports emerged early on Monday that stated the group had been reinstated. “I really did think we were going to get terminated,” said a jubilant Virginia Case, the agency’s external affairs officer.
However, her buoyant mood was short-lived. In yet another twist, the Daily Beast has learned that the group has been placed on leave—again.
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. The group was placed on administrative leave the following day.
Bloomberg reported early Monday that, in an embarrassing U-turn for Noem, they had been called back. “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.
However, in another stunning twist, the group has been put on leave again, according to FEMA. In a statement given to the Daily Beast late Monday afternoon, an agency spokesperson said that the 14 staffers were reinstated by “bureaucrats acting outside of their authority.”
So, naturally, they have been returned to a state of suspension. “CNN reporting revealed that 14 FEMA employees previously placed on leave for misconduct were wrongly and without authorization reinstated by bureaucrats acting outside of their authority,” a spokesperson conceded.
“Once alerted, the unauthorized reinstatement was swiftly corrected by senior leadership. The 14 employees who signed the Katrina Declaration have been returned to administrative leave.”
The statement went on, “This Administration will not tolerate rogue conduct, unauthorized actions or entrenched bureaucrats resisting change. Federal employees are expected to follow lawful direction, uphold agency standards and serve the American people.”
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 also contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
