Some FEMA staff are put on leave after signing dissent letter
Some employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who signed a public letter of dissent earlier this week were put on administrative leave Tuesday evening, according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press.
More than 180 current and former FEMA employees signed the letter sent to the FEMA Review Council and Congress on Monday critiquing recent cuts to agency staff and programs, and warning that FEMA’s capacity to respond to a major disaster was dangerously diminished.
Thirty-five signed their names while 141 signed anonymously for fear of retribution.
The Associated Press has confirmed that at least two of the signatories received notices Tuesday evening informing them they would be placed on leave indefinitely, with pay and that they must still check in every morning confirming their availability. It was unclear what the status was for other signatories.
The notice said the decision “is not a disciplinary action and is not intended to be punitive.”
FEMA did not respond immediately to questions about how many staff received the notice and whether it was related to the opposition letter.
The Washington Post first reported that some FEMA employees were being put on leave.
The dissent letter contained six “statements of opposition” to current policies at FEMA, including an expenditure approval policy by which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem must approve contracts exceeding $100,000, which the signatories said reduces FEMA’s ability to perform its mission.
It also critiqued the DHS decision to reassign some FEMA employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the failure to appoint a qualified FEMA administrator as stipulated by law, and cuts to mitigation programs, preparedness training and FEMA workforce.
In an email Monday, FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargues said that the Trump administration “has made accountability and reform a priority so that taxpayer dollars actually reach the people and communities they are meant to help.”
“It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform,” Llargues said. “Change is always hard.”
Employees at other agencies including the National Institutes of Health and Environmental Protection Agency have issued similar statements. About 140 EPA staff members at the were placed on administrative leave for signing an opposition letter.
Trevi Fountain fee takes effect as Rome seeks to manage tourist crowds
Tourists hoping to get close to the Trevi Fountain had to pay 2 euros starting Monday as the city of Rome inaugurated a new fee structure to help raise money and control crowds.
Clintons agree to testify in House Epstein investigation ahead of contempt of Congress vote
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to testify in a House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but the Republican leading the probe said an agreement had not yet been finalized.
Appeals court overturns former UCLA gynecologist’s sex abuse conviction
It was ruled Dr. James Heaps was denied a fair trial because the judge did not share with his defense counsel a note by the court's foreman pointing out concerns that one juror lacked sufficient English to carry out their duties.
Populist conservative Laura Fernández wins Costa Rica’s presidential election
Candidate Laura Fernández won a resounding victory, promising to continue the aggressive reorienting of the Central American nation's politics started by her predecessor.
What Jared Kushner’s ‘New Gaza’ plan includes, and what it leaves out
President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner laid out a plan for a "New Gaza." A close look suggests it makes room for fewer Palestinians and less housing.
Trump administration sued over visa freeze on immigrants from 75 countries
A group of nonprofit organizations and U.S. citizens Monday filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's sweeping suspension of immigrant visa processing for people from nearly half of the world's countries.
