December 1, 2o25
FEMA Whistleblowers Reinstated
FEMA retaliated against employees who signed a letter of dissent, the Katrina Declaration;
after whistleblower complaints were filed, the reprisals ended
WASHINGTON—Today, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees who were illegally terminated or placed on administrative leave for exercising their First Amendment and whistleblower rights returned to work. On August 25, 2025, the employees sent a dissent letter to Congress — The FEMA Katrina Declaration — protesting gross waste and mismanagement, abuses of authority, dangers to public health and safety, and violations of laws, rules and regulations by Agency management.
The next day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) put the public signers on indefinite administrative leave, ordered them to cease all work and not contact anyone at FEMA and DHS. FEMA’s Office of Professional Responsibility then began retaliatory investigations of the public signers. The employees acknowledged they had in fact signed the Declaration following which the Agency terminated an employee on the sole charge that signing the declaration was “Conduct Unbecoming a Federal Employee.” According to the Specification supporting the charge, the Declaration:
[I]ncluded multiple disparaging comments and allegations directed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the current Administration, and its members, which undermined the Agency’s goals and...
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