DHS watchdog finds FEMA crew violated Hatch Act by skipping Trump-sign homes

FEMA ended door-to-door outreach after 2024 incident

The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general concluded Tuesday that a Federal Emergency Management Agency crew violated the Hatch Act by skipping 11 homes in Florida displaying Trump campaign signs during Hurricane Milton recovery efforts in 2024, UPI reported.

The inspector general’s report said the conduct “eroded public trust in FEMA’s ability to treat everyone impartially, offer unbiased and consistent assistance and ensure equal access to resources and tools.” The agency action concerned canvassing in the aftermath of the 2024 hurricane.

The Hatch Act, first passed in 1939, restricts certain political activities by federal employees to ensure government programs are administered on a nonpartisan basis.

The watchdog’s determination comes amid broader allegations that the Trump administration has been accused of tying disaster aid to political leanings. Politico reported in March that it is three times more difficult for Democrat-led states to obtain disaster aid for residents under the current administration than for states led by Republicans, according to UPI.

FEMA Associate Administrator Christopher Logan, in comments reported by The Hill, said the agency no longer participates in “FEMA-led door-to-door outreach efforts” and that agency staff now provide support “from fixed locations determined by state and local officials.” Logan also said FEMA provided mandatory Hatch Act and ethics training to staff following the 2024 case.

Michael Cohen, who was FEMA’s chief of staff at the time of the incident, told The Hill that the inspector general’s report reinforces that the “violations were not systematic and were isolated.” Cohen said FEMA took appropriate action.

The Office of the Special Counsel reached the same conclusion in 2025, finding that the 2024 actions violated the Hatch Act. The DHS inspector general’s office is the second federal body to issue that determination.

President Donald Trump has called for abolishing FEMA and later sought to downsize the agency and provide limited disaster aid to states, according to UPI’s reporting. The administration has also faced Hatch Act allegations beyond the Florida case, including accusations that it violated the act through political messaging on government websites.