TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Monday dismissed a lawsuit stemming from allegations that the Federal Emergency Management Agency violated civil rights of Florida supporters of President Donald Trump after hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Uthmeier’s predecessor, former Attorney General Ashley Moody, filed the lawsuit in November against Deanne Criswell, who directed FEMA during the Biden administration, and former FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington. The lawsuit came after allegations that Washington directed aid workers in October to avoid going to homes in Lake Placid that had yard signs supporting Trump, who defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election.
The dismissal, filed in federal court in Fort Pierce, was linked to a letter that the U.S. Department of Justice filed on behalf of FEMA. The letter, dated Monday, provided a timeline that started with the allegations against Washington and detailed investigations and actions that resulted.
Justice Department attorneys wrote in the letter that “Ms. Criswell has authorized us to state on her behalf that she believes that Ms. Washington’s conduct in this matter was wrong and unacceptable. Indeed, Ms. Criswell has expressed that same view, consistently, in her public statements about this matter since learning of Ms. Washington’s conduct.”
“The United States and Ms. Criswell regret the actions giving rise to this case and agree with the state of Florida that those actions never should have occurred,” the letter said. “We are also hopeful that, in light of all we have provided, the state of Florida and its people can be confident that FEMA is striving to avoid a repeat of the events giving rise to this case and that the agency is committed to the fair, compassionate, and even-handed delivery of services.”
The letter said Criswell on Nov. 9 directed Washington’s termination from the agency. Citing testimony to two U.S. House committees, the letter said “senior FEMA officials did not instruct
FEMA staff to deny or withhold disaster assistance to hurricane survivors based on political affiliation” and that “there is no FEMA policy to that effect.”
An agreement filed with the dismissal said it “is not an admission of liability or fault on the part of defendant Criswell or the United States Government and is entered into for the purpose of compromising and resolving this action and thereby avoiding the expenses and risks of further litigation.”
The lawsuit alleged that a conspiracy existed that violated the rights of Trump supporters. It sought damages and a declaration that the defendants “conspired to interfere with the civil rights of Trump supporters in Florida” in violation of a federal law.
The allegations drew attention from congressional Republicans and the national news media. Helene hit Florida in September before moving into other states, including Georgia and North Carolina. Milton made landfall in Sarasota County in October before crossing Florida.
While the letter filed Monday placed blame on Washington, she sent a letter in February to U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks that described the allegations as “false.” She also wrote that the “effort for scapegoating at my expense has methodically been implemented to the point that all of my inquiries and fair treatment throughout the process has been negated and intentionally delayed.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis in January appointed Moody to the U.S. Senate to succeed Marco Rubio, who became Trump’s secretary of state. He subsequently appointed Uthmeier as attorney general.
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