The allegations against FEMA must be vigorously investigated
FEMA under fire after official told Florida hurricane relief workers to skip homes with Trump signs
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., warns against Democrats 'weaponizing' the federal government and calls for power to be returned to the states. He also addresses reports of Chinese cell phone hacking and shares his Veterans Day message.
Fallout for the Biden-Harris administration and the broader Democrat agenda continues apace after a disastrous reelection bid. Over the weekend, news broke that federal relief workers were ordered to skip homes of people displaying support for Donald Trump. In an attempt to contain the ensuing backlash, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell released a statement providing that the supervisor responsible was fired and that her actions were reprehensible and in clear violation of "FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation."
If reports are true, then the Democrat-led administration not only violated "FEMA’s core values and principles," it blatantly discriminated against Americans during their vulnerable hour of need, on the basis of political viewpoint and in clear violation of core constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law and of free speech. Such insidious behavior by Democrat officials of weaponizing the government against its political opponents will prove to be problematic for them in future elections.
Black Democratic voters have expressed to me their serious concerns about governmental abuse of power. These same voters report that they consistently vote for Democrats, but did not participate in this year’s election not only because of dissatisfaction in the choices of candidates, but because they fear falling victim to retaliatory actions by their federal government. And when specifically asked about FEMA’s alleged political discrimination against Trump supporters, they were shocked and in disbelief. One voter stated: "This is why I will not participate in any election going forward. They crossed the line. Politics has gotten too nasty and personal, and I don’t want that happening to me when I am in need."
FIRED FEMA EMPLOYEE SAYS INSTRUCTIONS TO SKIP TRUMP HOMES WERE PART OF ‘COLOSSAL AVOIDANCE’ POLICY
The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects against both discriminatory laws and discriminatory actions by the state – ensuring that all persons are treated equally under the law and that state actions, or inactions, are not motivated by discriminatory intent or purpose. The Equal Protection Clause has been applied in contexts beyond race, such as in cases involving political discrimination and other forms of governmental classification.
OLD FORT, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 30: Flood damage at a bridge across Mill Creek in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 30, 2024 in Old Fort, North Carolina. According to reports, at least 90 people have been killed across the southeastern U.S., and millions are without power due to the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday. The White House has approved disaster declarations in North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states. ( Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
It is relieving to witness voters’ innate ability to discern a proper and just moral compass for our country: One that provides for a constitutional guarantee of equal protection that does not mean one thing when applied to one group and something else when applied to another. Unfortunately, Democrats' violation of this principle, despite the intended target, is having an unintended chilling effect on its voters.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability must investigate these allegations with vigor. It must do so unimpeded by the Biden-Harris administration. It must do so in a scrupulous and public fashion, so as to expose political activists and rampant corruption throughout the ranks of the federal government. And it must do so in conjunction with the incoming Trump administration. It is imperative not only for the efficiency of a Republican-led government, but for the sake of revealing to skeptical Democrat voters the willingness of their party to "cross the line." Just as recent news regarding FEMA’s discriminatory actions shattered the misplaced faith of devoted Black Democrat voters, the same could be realized for many others.
The irony here is that Democrats’ willingness to commit governmental overreach with disregard for the U.S. Constitution practically harms the very constituencies they portray to represent. It exposes the party of "civility and decency" for its incivility and indecency. It exposes their hypocrisy. If Democrats are willing to discriminate on the basis of political view today, what happens tomorrow if, for instance, Black men continue to vote against the interests of the Democrat machine? Will they be subject to the ire of party officials and denied assistance in their hour of need? Would homes brandishing Trump signs, yet owned by African Americans, be spared from discrimination by the Left? Fortunately, the future is bright again. The incoming administration will have the opportunity to course correct and apply an American standard, rather than a Marxist standard, to our constitutional order and civil rights, thereby restoring the trust of the American people in its government.
Rod Dorilas is a Navy veteran, Palm Beach international business and maritime attorney, and former Republican congressional candidate who served as counsel to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, 2020-2021.
