According to CNN, several US Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) employees, including acting administrator Cameron Hamilton, have recently gone through lie detector tests as part of a wider department of homeland security’s ( DHS) crackdown on alleged leaks of national security information.
The Trump presidency is attempting to track down leaks, some of which supposedly uncovered internal discussions on plans to destroy FEMA itself. The polygraphs, which are about 50 administered in full, are portion of a push by the Trump administration.
Hamilton was reportedly subjected to a test just days after meeting with Trump supporter Corey Lewandowski and homeland security secretary Kristi Noem about FEMA’s prospects, including options for reducing or completely dissolving the crisis agency.
According to sources cited by CNN, at least one FEMA established was apparently taken on administrative leave and escorted out of the agency’s headquarters after a failed test.
However, the shift has sparked concern among journalist activists and federal people who claim that the polygraphs are being used to control opposition and specific people who aren’t even familiar with classified information.
One FEMA official was quoted by CNN as saying,” These people had no access to classified knowledge.” This is a monster kill, I say. They are attempting to eradicate people and cause worry,” the official continued.
According to The Mirror, DHS spokesman Tricia McLaughlin defended the polygraphs, saying,” We are independent about your standing, career, political session, or reputation as a profession civil servant, we may record down whistleblowers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
McLaughlin emphasized Hamilton’s success and continued to work for his company even though he acknowledged some workers may have been turned down for the check and face legal penalties.
Concerns about propriety and due process have been raised by the use of polygraphs, especially for those dealing with largely non-classified substance. According to Tom Devine of the Government Accountability Project, the number of tests “alarming,” and that “what used to be a delicate, thoroughly considered high-risk choice is now a knee-jerk effect”
The Trump administration’s wider work to reform or maybe get rid of FEMA is the focus of the test sweep, with director Noem apparently determined to do so, according to The Mirror.
Discussions last quarter saw conversations about revoke an executive order that created the FEMA Review Council, a shift that might lead to the agency’s complete dissolution.
Morale is said to be collapsing within FEMA. In response to new getting regulations and a Deferred Resignation Program that offers buyouts, several staff members are considering volunteer separation or premature retirement. One standard claimed that “you have the potential for a ton of institutional knowledge to leave the door.” If you don’t have much manpower to fulfill the goal, then you have a double whammy, the official continued.
Just days before the cyclone season begins, there is a noted uproar. Important preparations were postponed this year due to DHS-imposed reviews disrupting planning dates, according to CNN. ” March is usually when we’re finalizing storms programs. Many of that were put off, according to one disaster response employer.
A new scheme required that Noem’s group reapproves the majority of FEMA’s temporary labor, including CORE workers, Reservists, and Regional Hires, according to a DHS hiring letter. According to the Government Accountability Office, these staff, several serving two to four years, make up nearly three-quarters of FEMA’s operating pressure.
A FEMA official claimed that” they are the backbone of the answer.” ” We’re checking renewal dates and justifying our jobs,” national added, “instead of preparing for hurricanes.”
One official cautioned against” we didn’t really think the consequences until something big and bad happens” in light of growing concerns that FEMA might be cut short for a potentially dangerous storm season.
