Watchdog battling Trump dismissal charges former FEMA employee with bias against Trump supporters
Special counsel Hampton Dellinger asserts that the supervisor breached the Hatch Act by instructing hurricane workers to steer clear of residences displaying Trump signs.
TroibNews 
An executive branch ethics watchdog is contesting President Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss him, having taken disciplinary action against a former federal emergency worker for allegedly promoting discrimination against Trump supporters.
In a complaint filed on Tuesday, special counsel Hampton Dellinger claims that, during a hurricane response in October, a supervisor with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) directed agency workers to avoid visiting residences displaying Trump signs.
Marn’i Washington, the supervisor in question, is said to have violated the Hatch Act, a federal law that prevents federal employees from participating in political activities, according to the complaint.
Washington was fired by FEMA last year, shortly after reports surfaced that she had instructed employees to bypass the homes of Trump supporters in Highland County, Florida, following Hurricane Milton. In interviews, Washington stated that her directive was intended to protect fellow FEMA workers, who had faced hostility at certain locations. However, conservative activists and the Trump campaign criticized the incident, arguing it demonstrated that FEMA was purposefully mishandling disaster response in areas that lean Republican.
“A federal employee clearly violates the Hatch Act by engaging in explicit partisan political bias or activity when on the job,” Dellinger remarked in a statement.
Efforts to reach Washington for a response were unsuccessful.
Dellinger’s complaint was filed just a day after U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered him to be reinstated temporarily while she examines whether Trump violated the law by terminating Dellinger last week.
Although Dellinger was appointed by President Joe Biden, he was confirmed by the Senate last year and is serving a five-year term. Federal law has stipulated for over forty years that special counsel appointees can only be removed for reasons such as inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.
The Office of Special Counsel, which investigates potential Hatch Act violations and whistleblower matters, operates independently of the Justice Department, which conducts politically sensitive criminal investigations.
In response, the Trump administration quickly appealed Jackson’s ruling that reinstated Dellinger, seeking an emergency stay from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to remove him again from his position. A court filing on Tuesday indicated that Trump has “purportedly” selected Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to act as special counsel temporarily.
Dellinger’s complaint asserts that Washington misled her superiors by failing to disclose that she had told her team in a group message to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”
“There were no reports in Highlands County of safety concerns at properties with Trump 2024 campaign signs,” the complaint states.
The case was submitted to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which addresses disciplinary matters involving federal employees. The complaint does not specify a particular sanction for Washington. Although violations of the Hatch Act are not criminal, they can result in a ban from federal employment for up to five years and a fine of up to $1,000.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a complaint filed on Tuesday, special counsel Hampton Dellinger claims that, during a hurricane response in October, a supervisor with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) directed agency workers to avoid visiting residences displaying Trump signs.
Marn’i Washington, the supervisor in question, is said to have violated the Hatch Act, a federal law that prevents federal employees from participating in political activities, according to the complaint.
Washington was fired by FEMA last year, shortly after reports surfaced that she had instructed employees to bypass the homes of Trump supporters in Highland County, Florida, following Hurricane Milton. In interviews, Washington stated that her directive was intended to protect fellow FEMA workers, who had faced hostility at certain locations. However, conservative activists and the Trump campaign criticized the incident, arguing it demonstrated that FEMA was purposefully mishandling disaster response in areas that lean Republican.
“A federal employee clearly violates the Hatch Act by engaging in explicit partisan political bias or activity when on the job,” Dellinger remarked in a statement.
Efforts to reach Washington for a response were unsuccessful.
Dellinger’s complaint was filed just a day after U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered him to be reinstated temporarily while she examines whether Trump violated the law by terminating Dellinger last week.
Although Dellinger was appointed by President Joe Biden, he was confirmed by the Senate last year and is serving a five-year term. Federal law has stipulated for over forty years that special counsel appointees can only be removed for reasons such as inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.
The Office of Special Counsel, which investigates potential Hatch Act violations and whistleblower matters, operates independently of the Justice Department, which conducts politically sensitive criminal investigations.
In response, the Trump administration quickly appealed Jackson’s ruling that reinstated Dellinger, seeking an emergency stay from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to remove him again from his position. A court filing on Tuesday indicated that Trump has “purportedly” selected Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to act as special counsel temporarily.
Dellinger’s complaint asserts that Washington misled her superiors by failing to disclose that she had told her team in a group message to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”
“There were no reports in Highlands County of safety concerns at properties with Trump 2024 campaign signs,” the complaint states.
The case was submitted to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which addresses disciplinary matters involving federal employees. The complaint does not specify a particular sanction for Washington. Although violations of the Hatch Act are not criminal, they can result in a ban from federal employment for up to five years and a fine of up to $1,000.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
