The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) head accused of ordering her team to avoid Florida homes displaying Trump campaign signs has been fired. Marn'i Washington was fired for directing disaster relief workers in Lake Placid, Florida, to "not go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Trump," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Saturday.
Her order led workers to bypass at least 20 homes displaying signs supporting the President-elect, leaving those residents without any federal help, according to employees who spoke to the Daily Wire. Criswell said Washington was fired in response to widespread outrage over her alleged bias and discrimination within the nation's emergency agency, which would not be tolerated.
Zero Tolerance Policy
"This is a clear violation of FEMA's core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation," she said, adding, "This employee has been terminated and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel.
"I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again." The disturbing order was reportedly issued in late October, when Washington, 39, was working with a FEMA team in the central Florida town following Hurricane Milton.
"Avoid homes advertising Trump," Washington wrote in a "best practices" memo to employees, a copy of which was obtained by Daily Wire.
The instructions also reminded workers to stay hydrated and to "adhere to the rules." According to the report, Washington also issued this directive verbally.
Washington's sister, April Brown, 39, claimed she was shocked upon learning of her sibling's strange actions.
"I'm completely shocked," she said. "I can tell you that she set out to help and serve all people. With her being in that position with FEMA I can't see her doing anything like that."
The reason behind Washington's decision to involve politics in disaster relief remains unclear, but local officials sharply criticized her for discriminating against residents.
Leaving Everyone Shocked
Washington, whose no-deleted LinkedIn profile indicates she has worked with FEMA since 2019, is also employed as a regional manager in the Bay Area by Avanath Capital Management LLC, a property management firm. Additionally, she lists herself as the owner of a logistics company, Olam Industries LLC.
According to her sister, Washington, who grew up in Oakland, has a deep interest in the history of slavery.
In 2019, she shared a Facebook post discussing what is believed to be the first slave ship to arrive in the Americas in the 1500s, along with an article about California's attempt to ban free Black individuals in the mid-1800s.
"I'm steadfast and extremely unpredictable," she wrote on her social media page, adding a kiss emoji.
Workers told The Daily Wire that, following Washington's directive, they ultimately skipped about 20 homes with Trump signs or flags from late October to early November, denying these residents the opportunity to register for federal aid after the devastating Category 3 storm, which caused approximately $50 billion in damage statewide.
"Trump sign no entry per leadership," one worker noted in FEMA's tracking system as an explanation for skipping a home, according to a screenshot obtained by the outlet.
Lake Placid was less severely impacted by the powerful storm compared to areas on the state's west coast, with officials reporting that the destruction mainly involved tornadoes striking a few neighborhoods and a mobile home park.
Highlands County has been helping residents who have largely handled cleanup efforts themselves, and Holbrook mentioned observing minimal FEMA activity in the area.
