Top Line
The Department of Homeland Security claimed Tuesday that high-tech billionaire and government efficiency director Elon Musk had spent nearly $60 million in housing immigration on what he claimed, a disaster response agency targeted by the Trump administration. It was later announced that four officials had been fired from the federal emergency management agency. “Luxury” was a hotel in New York City.
The DHS statement was released on Tuesday. (Photo: Anna Money Maker/Getty Images)
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Important facts
In a statement, DHS said FEMA has fired an agency official and made the payments that include FEMA’s Chief Financial Officer Mary Comans, two program analysts and a grant expert. .
The statement said that “bad payments” have been made to house immigrants in a luxury hotel in New York, and New York spokeswoman Elizabeth Garcia said, “Deep state activists are the will and safety of Americans.” “We will not allow it to undermine.” Mayor Eric Adams’ office told The Associated Press that funds received by the city were allocated by council and allocated by FEMA.
The immigrant funding is likely raised from FEMA’s shelter and services program, which provides refunds to non-federal organizations for immigration-related costs, the AP reported.
The shooting follows a post from Musk on Monday last week that FEMA claimed it spent $59 million in residential immigration at a five-star hotel “luxury” and five-star hotel, but Musks are on the hotel and hospitality chain to which they belong. I didn’t name it.
Musk, along with FEMA’s representative manager, Cameron Hamilton, said there was demand on Monday to collect funds, and payments were suspended, adding that personnel were “accountable.”
FEMA did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
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Who is Mary Commans?
Comans started as FEMA’s Chief Financial Officer in 2017 and previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Asmay’s agency. Commans holds two masters degrees from Dwight D. Eisenhower School National Security & Resource Strategy and New York University.
What did Trump say about FEMA?
President Donald Trump has publicly scrutinized disaster response agencies, saying on Tuesday it was “late and completely ineffective,” and “FEMA should be fired!” Trump abolished the agency in January. He said he would sign an executive order overhauling FEMA, which could include recommendations to do so. Trump recently said individual states should manage their own disaster response, and told reporters last month that he was investigating the damage caused by Hurricane Helen in North Carolina. “I want to see the state take care of the disaster,” the president argued that the state would “save a huge savings” on what was left to his device against the disaster, and would be “much more efficient.”
Big numbers
At least $450 billion. According to FEMA, this is the amount the federal government spent on disaster relief between 2005 and 2023. The agency employs more than 20,000 people, responding to more than 100 disasters in 2023 and allocated more than $13 billion to survivors, communities and states for recovery efforts.
Important background
FEMA was founded in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter and became part of the DHS in 2003. Alongside Musk’s Office of Government Efficiency, the president has offered acquisition offers to more than 2 million federal private employees this month to cut federal workers by up to 10%. The White House said last week that around 65,000 workers had accepted the offer. He said this is currently being frozen by a federal judge who primarily deals with lawsuits from the federal workers’ union claiming the Trump administration. .
Read more
Trump’s federal worker acquisition extended again by a judge: Here’s what you know (Forbes)
Trump suggests that FEMA be removed in the latest phone call to the Overhaul Agency (Forbes)
