SAN DIEGO (AP) — The acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency left his job Monday after just six months, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Massive staff departures, program cuts and policy confusion In the agency responsible for managing federal disaster response.
David Richardson, who largely disappeared from public view during his short tenure, will step down from his post after facing problems. Wave of criticism over response to deadly Texas floods earlier this year. He replaced former acting chief Cameron Hamilton in May.
DHS has not commented on the details of Richardson’s resignation, but a FEMA official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Richardson has resigned. The employee spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media about the changes.
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security would like to express our sincere gratitude to David Richardson, a senior official in his executive duties, for his dedicated service and wish him continued success in his return to the civilian sector,” a DHS spokesperson told The Associated Press.
The Washington Post first reported the news of Richardson’s resignation.
Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Countermeasures, had no previous experience in crisis management when he assumed the role of “senior executive performing administrator duties” in May.
After replacing Hamilton, He was fired the day after he told the House Appropriations Committee that he did not believe FEMA should be abolished. richardson I vowed to contribute to the realization of President Donald Trump’s goal is to shift more responsibility for disaster recovery onto states, telling FEMA officials: run right over Those who tried to obstruct the mission.
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But Mr. Richardson’s leadership has been questioned by members of Congress and FEMA officials, especially as he has largely kept a low profile after the devastating Texas floods that killed at least 136 people last July.
When asked by a House committee in July why he didn’t arrive until a week after the disaster, Richardson said he remained in Washington, D.C., to “kick down the doors of bureaucracy,” but also said he was camping with his sons during the Fourth of July weekend when the flooding first occurred and initially helped respond from inside his truck.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem She also maintains tight control over FEMA programs and spending, requiring her to approve any government spending over $100,000. Richardson denied reports that authorization policies slowed FEMA’s response in Texas.
Karen Evans, FEMA chief of staff and former cybersecurity official, will assume the role on Dec. 1, DHS said. FEMA administrators are required by law to have emergency management experience, but the Trump administration has so far circumvented that requirement by appointing interim leaders.
The agency has undergone major changes. turbulent Since Trump returned to office in January, promising to significantly reform, if not abolish, government agencies. As of June, about 18% of the agency’s full-time employees had retired, including 24 senior employees, the agency said. Government Accountability Office.
The Trump administration also Mitigation funding reduction, Set requirements for preparatory subsidies that force recipients to comply with President Trump’s immigration policies; and Multiple states deny requests for major disaster declaration.
DHS did not respond to questions about whether Richardson will continue to lead the Office of Countermeasures against Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Trump appointed 12-member Review Council Led by Noem and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the agency released recommendations on how to reform FEMA and place more responsibility on states for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The council is expected to release its recommendations in December.
