
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) recently disclosed that he has been in contact with multiple whistleblowers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who have raised serious concerns about the agency’s handling of relief efforts following Hurricane Helene. In a letter addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Gaetz outlined significant mismanagement issues reported by these whistleblowers.
“My office has been in contact with whistleblowers in numerous emergency-management functions at the federal, state, and local levels, and they all point to the same critical mismanagement issues,” Gaetz wrote. He accused FEMA of wasting taxpayer funds and leaving various responders without necessary deployment orders. Reports indicate that many service members from the Department of Defense were deployed to North Carolina but have been left idle, awaiting instructions from FEMA.
According to Gaetz’s letter, FEMA employees have also been observed waiting in hotels while on duty, exacerbating the relief effort’s ineffectiveness. “FEMA pre-disaster aid was withheld, exacerbating the emergency,” the letter continued, pointing to systemic failures in the agency’s response. Additionally, Gaetz highlighted that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have used FEMA funds to purchase airline tickets for migrants, further diverting resources from those in need.
This revelation comes shortly after Secretary Mayorkas announced that FEMA is struggling financially and may not have sufficient funds to last through the remainder of the hurricane season. “We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” Mayorkas stated, confirming concerns about the agency’s budget constraints.
Critics believe that FEMA’s funding issues stem from previous allocations aimed at supporting illegal immigrants, which some see as a misallocation of resources meant for disaster relief. Former President Donald Trump voiced similar frustrations during a recent rally, emphasizing that the agency’s focus has shifted away from aiding hurricane victims.