Oh Look, the Trump Official in Charge of Hurricane Response Is Under Investigation
As Hurricane Florence barrels toward the Carolinas today, Politico reports that the Trump administration’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief, Brock Long—you know, the guy tasked with brilliantly coordinating our response to natural disasters as well as we did in Puerto Rico—is under investigation into whether he misused official cars.
Two officials confirmed to the site that Long is being investigated for using government cars to make the trek from Washington to North Carolina on the weekends, a scheduling luxury that’s apparently strained his relationship with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. As the site reported:
At a meeting in late August, Nielsen confronted Long about his travel, though people familiar with the meeting gave conflicting accounts about whether she took the step of asking him to step down over the issue.
How far did this go? Long reportedly started using a staff driver to get him home when he started in the top FEMA job last year. Officials said Long’s travels meant putting up his aides in hotels at taxpayers’ expense.
Long joins a growing club of Trump administration staffers who find themselves under investigation—a list that, of course, goes all the way to the top. He’s also in the warm company of numerous administration officials who just couldn’t quit over-indulging in the perks of the job.