--- title: "FEMA crew skipped 11 homes with Trump signs, watchdog finds" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/fema-crew-skipped-11-homes-with-trump-signs-watchdog-finds" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/fema-crew-skipped-11-homes-with-trump-signs-watchdog-finds" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/fema-crew-skipped-11-homes-with-trump-signs-watchdog-finds.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/fema-crew-skipped-11-homes-with-trump-signs-watchdog-finds" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-26T11:45:47.381Z" source_reported: "2026-08-26T09:19:12.000Z" updated: "2026-08-26T11:45:47.381Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-26T14:09:51.359Z" --- # FEMA crew skipped 11 homes with Trump signs, watchdog finds *Homeland Security report details Hatch Act violations and inadequate training* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to a named body, and the full report provides named sources and documents. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. The reporting includes quotes from affected parties and names specific details. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. The language is mostly neutral, with some outlets using stronger headlines. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - A Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report found a FEMA crew skipped 11 homes displaying political signs supporting Donald Trump during 2024 Hurricane Milton recovery efforts. - The incident violated the Hatch Act and FEMA internal regulations, according to the watchdog report. - FEMA fired the crew leader, Marn’i Washington, and other involved staffers following the findings. - The report also determined that FEMA had not adequately provided training on ethics violations and the Hatch Act. A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) crew deliberately bypassed 11 homes displaying political signage supporting Donald Trump during recovery efforts for Hurricane Milton in 2024. This action violated the Hatch Act and FEMA internal regulations, according to a report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG report stated that the crew leader, Marn’i Washington, instructed her team to avoid properties with Trump 2024 campaign signage. Following the investigation, FEMA terminated Washington and other staffers involved in the incident. The watchdog also found that FEMA had not sufficiently trained its employees on ethics violations and the Hatch Act. ## Disagreements on reasons for skipping homes The Independent reported that Marn’i Washington told NewsNation she was being "framed" and "simply following orders," citing "hostile" encounters her team experienced at homes with Trump signs. The Washington Post stated that the crew leader told staff to avoid these homes over safety concerns. The Independent also noted that then-FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell testified to the House Oversight Committee that Washington’s actions were "unacceptable" and that evidence suggested it was an "isolated incident." ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention that investigators could not determine if crews skipped homes for other unallowable reasons during other disasters because the watchdog office cannot access records from the survey program. None of the centre-rated digests mention this detail either. The Independent's full report included this information. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 15% (2) - Centre: 31% (4) - Right: 54% (7) 2 of 15 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-26T14:09:51.359Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-26T14:15:33.403Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports from The Independent and The Washington Post highlighted that the FEMA crew skipped homes due to the presence of political signage supporting Donald Trump. The Independent, which provided a full report, included statements from former Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger explaining that a federal employee violates the Hatch Act by engaging in explicit partisan political bias on the job. It also quoted Democrats on the House Oversight Committee pointing out that Donald Trump, during his first administration, "deliberately and outspokenly" withheld aid to political rivals without consequence. Both reports noted the watchdog's finding that FEMA had not adequately provided training around ethics violations and the Hatch Act. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports from Fox8, The Hill, UPI, and Internewscast focused on the core finding that a FEMA crew violated the Hatch Act by skipping homes with Trump signs during Hurricane Milton recovery efforts. Fox8 and The Hill specifically mentioned the internal watchdog's finding. UPI stated that a government watchdog confirmed the violation of the Hatch Act during hurricane relief efforts in 2024. Internewscast reported that FEMA relief workers intentionally passed over homes displaying support for Donald Trump. ### Right - The right-rated reports from Just the News, MEAWW Entertainment, New York Post, house.gov, Washington Times, The National Pulse, and CLG News led with the finding that FEMA broke laws or federal law by skipping homes with Trump signs. Just the News reported the crew leader told team members to avoid homes with Trump signs due to safety concerns. The New York Post and house.gov mentioned that the inspector general's office also faulted former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for not funding a contractor that could have provided more data on whether crews skipped homes for unallowable reasons during other disasters. The Washington Times stated that federal emergency workers refused services to at least 11 homes because they had pro-Trump signs, violating the agency's nonpolitical guidelines. The National Pulse and CLG News used strong language, calling the findings "confirmed" and "shocking," respectively. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 6 - high: 5 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Hoodline](https://hoodline.com/2026/08/fema-crew-skipped-11-lake-placid-homes-with-trump-signs-watchdog-confirms-hatch-act-breach) — FEMA Hatch Act Violation: Florida Homes With Trump Signs Skipped - [大纪元 Epoch Times](https://epochtimes.com/b5/26/8/26/n14837062.htm) — The 2024 FEMA Disaster Relief Efforts Will Skip 11 Trump Supporter Homes; a Report Has Determined This to Be Illegal. - [Just the News](https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/fema-broke-laws-skipping-homes-trump-signs-dhs-inspector-general-report) — FEMA broke laws by skipping homes with Trump signs, DHS inspector general report finds - [MEAWW Entertainment](https://news.meaww.com/fema-workers-violated-law-by-skipping-homes-with-trump-signs-after-hurricane-watchdog-says) — FEMA workers violated law by skipping homes with Trump signs after hurricane, watchdog says - [Fox8](https://myfox8.com/news/internal-watchdog-finds-fema-crew-violated-hatch-act-by-skipping-homes-with-trump-signs) — Internal watchdog finds FEMA crew violated Hatch Act by skipping homes with Trump signs - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/6050600-dhs-fema-florida-milton-trump-signs) — Internal watchdog finds FEMA crew violated Hatch Act by skipping homes with Trump signs - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/08/25/us-news/fema-workers-who-skipped-hurricane-hit-florida-homes-with-trump-signs-broke-the-law-watchdog) — FEMA workers who skipped hurricane-hit Florida homes with Trump signs broke the law: watchdog - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/fema-trump-signs-hurricane-milton-maga-b3039171.html) — FEMA crew skipped 11 homes with Trump signs in 2024, watchdog finds - [house.gov](https://oversight.house.gov/release/dhs-inspector-general-finds-fema-employees-violated-the-law-by-skipping-homes-of-trump-supporters-after-oversight-committee-investigation) — DHS Inspector General Finds FEMA Employees Violated the Law by Skipping Homes of Trump Supporters After Oversight Committee Investigation - United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform - [UPI](https://upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/08/25/watchdog-says-FEMA-crew-broke-law/3481787703076) — Watchdog: FEMA crew broke law by skipping homes with Trump signs - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/08/25/fema-crew-broke-law-by-skipping-homes-with-trump-signs-federal-watchdog-says) — FEMA crew broke law by skipping homes with Trump signs, federal watchdog says - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/fema-refused-visit-11-pro-trump-houses-2024) — FEMA broke federal law by skipping homes with Trump signs after hurricane - [The National Pulse](https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/08/24/confirmed-fema-workers-skipped-trump-supporters-homes-after-hurricane-violating-federal-law) — Confirmed: FEMA Workers Skipped Trump Supporters’ Homes After Hurricane, Violating Federal Law. - [CLG News](https://legitgov.org/shocking-report-confirms-fema-relief-workers-deliberately-skipped-trump-voters-homes-after-deadly-hurricane-milton) — Shocking report confirms FEMA relief workers deliberately SKIPPED Trump voters’ homes after deadly Hurricane Milton - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/report-finds-fema-deliberately-skipped-homes-with-trump-signs) — Report Finds FEMA Deliberately Skipped Homes With Trump Signs ## Questions **What did the FEMA crew do wrong?** A FEMA crew skipped 11 homes displaying political signs supporting Donald Trump during Hurricane Milton recovery efforts in 2024. This action violated the Hatch Act, which limits partisan political activities for federal employees, and FEMA's internal regulations, according to a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report. **What was the outcome for the FEMA crew involved?** FEMA fired the crew leader, Marn’i Washington, and other staffers involved in the incident. The agency also provided additional mandatory ethics training on the Hatch Act to its employees following the watchdog's findings. **What did the watchdog report say about FEMA's training?** The watchdog report determined that FEMA had not adequately provided training to its employees regarding ethics violations and the Hatch Act. This lack of sufficient training was identified as a contributing factor in the incident. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/fema-crew-skipped-11-homes-with-trump-signs-watchdog-finds. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "FEMA crew skipped 11 homes with Trump signs, watchdog finds", https://mediabias.news/politics/fema-crew-skipped-11-homes-with-trump-signs-watchdog-finds