FEMA Chief, former Alabama leader, Brock Long resigns
Former Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) and current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Brock Long announced his resignation on Wednesday. “It has been a great honor to serve our country as @fema Administrator for the past two years. While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family,” Long tweeted. It has been a great honor to serve our country as @fema Administrator for the past two years. While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family. You can read my full announcement here: https://t.co/2HXa7tQtV8 — Brock Long (@FEMA_Brock) February 13, 2019 Long’s resignation comes month after an internal investigation by the DHS inspector general (IG) found that he used government vehicles without proper authorization. He did not lose his job over it. Long served at the helm of the AEMA from 2008 to 2011, where he worked on the Yellowhammer State’s response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and numerous other natural disasters. As Director, he served as the State Coordinating Officer for 14 disasters, including eight presidentially-declared events. Prior to that he was a FEMA Regional Hurricane Program Manager from 2001 to 2006. Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor will now serve as acting head of the agency. This story is breaking.
FEMA Chief, former Alabama leader, Brock Long won’t lose job following investigation
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Chief Brock Long did use government vehicles without proper authorization, but he’s not going to lose his job over it. That’s according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen following an internal investigation by the DHS inspector general (IG). Long, who previously served as director of the Alabama Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA), came under fire last week amid allegation that he misused of government cars for personal use. According to POLITICO, who originally broke the story, “Long started using a staff driver to get him home to North Carolina at the beginning of his tenure at FEMA last year. On the weekends Long spent in North Carolina, aides were put up in a hotel at taxpayer expense, according to one of the current officials.” Nielsen, who released a statement released Friday night, said there was in fact “inappropriate use” of the government vehicles. “[U]se of Government vehicles to provide home to work transportation for the FEMA Administrator was never authorized in accordance with applicable law,” she said. Long will reimburse the government, rather than lose his job, for the misuse of government vehicles. “As the leader of this agency, I accept full responsibility for any mistakes that were made by me or the agency,” Long said in a statement.
FEMA Chief, former Alabama leader, Brock Long faces multiple investigations
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general (IG) investigation into Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Chief Brock Long, is being referred to federal prosecutors to determine whether or not criminal charges should be pursued, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, House Republicans are launching an investigation of their own into the FEMA Chief’s alleged actions. News broke last week of allegations against Long, the former director of the Alabama Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA), for misusing government cars. According to POLITICO, who originally broke the story, “Long started using a staff driver to get him home to North Carolina at the beginning of his tenure at FEMA last year. On the weekends Long spent in North Carolina, aides were put up in a hotel at taxpayer expense, according to one of the current officials.” House investigation South Carolina-Republican U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, heard last week’s news and on Monday wrote Long a letter requesting documentation and other pertinent information related to his use of government vehicles. Gowdy gave Long a deadline of Oct. 1. “Official travel on the part of federal employees must be ‘by the most expeditious means of transportation practicable’ and ‘commensurate with the nature and purpose of the employee’s duties,’” Gowdy explained in the letter to Long. “This does not include using government-owned or government-leased vehicles for exclusively personal reasons.” Specifically Gowdy asked Long to: Identify each time you have used a government-owned or government-leased vehicle during your tenure at FEMA for personal reasons. For each usage, please provide the names of all FEMA staff who accompanied you, destinations, accommodations, dates of use, purpose, and cost of each trip. Produce policies relating to the use of government-owned or government-leased vehicles. All documents and communications referring or relating to FEMA employees being tasked with accompanying you on trips to or from North Carolina. Long denies any wrong-doing. “I would never intentionally run a program incorrectly,” Mr. Long told reporters during a call last Thursday. “Doing something unethical is not in my DNA.” He briefly addressed the investigation during a Thursday FEMA briefing as well. “Bottom line is, we’ll continue to fully cooperate with any investigation that goes on and own up to any mistakes and push forward and keep going,” he said. “I would never intentionally run a program incorrectly,“ Long added. “Doing something unethical is not part of my DNA and it is not part of my track record in my whole entire career. We will work with the OIG.”
Former Alabama leader, FEMA Director Brock Long under investigation for misuse of official cars
As Hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast, with tropical storm-force blasting the shoreline, the government’s lead disaster official is under an internal investigation for his alleged misuse of government cars, POLITICO reports. The former Alabama Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) director, and current director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Brock Long is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general (IG) as to whether or not he misused government vehicles and personnel during six-hour commutes from his home in North Carolina and FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C. According to POLITICO, “Long started using a staff driver to get him home to North Carolina at the beginning of his tenure at FEMA last year. On the weekends Long spent in North Carolina, aides were put up in a hotel at taxpayer expense, according to one of the current officials.” Long briefly addressed the investigation during a Thursday FEMA briefing. “Bottom line is, we’ll continue to fully cooperate with any investigation that goes on and own up to any mistakes and push forward and keep going,” he said. “I would never intentionally run a program incorrectly,“ Long added. “Doing something unethical is not part of my DNA and it is not part of my track record in my whole entire career. We will work with the OIG.” Jessica Nalepa, FEMA director of external affairs, also responded to the investigation saying FEMA “fully cooperates with all investigations conducted by the DHS OIG.” “Administrator Long and the FEMA workforce are focused on preparing for, responding to, and recovering from Hurricane Florence and other active tropical systems,” Nalepa tweeted in response to the POLITICO report. “Having worked directly with him for over a year, I know administrator Long to be an experienced and respected emergency manager.” “All questions about any potential investigation by the Office of the Inspector General should be directed to the IG. At this time, we are fully focused on preparing for, responding to, and recovering from Hurricane Florence and the storms in the Pacific,” DHS press secretary Tyler Houlton added to POLITICO in a statement. From 2008 to 2011 Long served was at the helm of the AEMA where he worked on the Yellowhammer State’s response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and numerous other natural disasters. As Director, he served as the State Coordinating Officer for 14 disasters, including eight presidentially-declared events. Prior to that he was a FEMA Regional Hurricane Program Manager from 2001 to 2006.
Former Alabama leader, FEMA Director Brock Long faces first first big test
Brock Long, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is getting ready to face one of the toughest challenges of his career — coordinating the federal response to the damage done by Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas. While he’s only been on the job for two months, Long will be relying on years of experience in working with natural disasters in the weeks, months and years of Hurricane Harvey clean-up that lies ahead. From 2008 to 2011 Long served was at the helm of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA), where he worked on the Yellowhammer State’s response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and numerous other natural disasters. As Director, he served as the State Coordinating Officer for 14 disasters, including eight presidentially-declared events. Prior to that he was a FEMA Regional Hurricane Program Manager from 2001 to 2006. Long’s already relying on his experience as the storm continues to do damage to the Lonestar State. On Monday, he asked for all Americans to help in what will be a lengthy recovery from the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. “Helping Texas overcome this disaster is going to be far greater than FEMA coordinating the mission of the entire federal government,” Long said at as news conference in Washington. “We need citizens to be involved. This is a landmark event. We have not seen an event like this. You could not draw this forecast up. You could not dream this forecast up.” “This is a whole community effort,” he added. The extent of the damage remains unknown, and the rainfall is not expected to let up for several days. Long urges individuals and organizations to check the website nvoad.org or call 1-800-621-FEMA to find out how to help.
