The embattled acting chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will step down after hurricane season following months of public controversy and internal frustration.
David Richardson submitted a resignation letter on Monday to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, giving two weeks’ notice, the department told CNN. However, plans were already in the works at the agency to oust him from the role, three sources told CNN.
CNN has reached out to Richardson for comment.
Richardson was tapped to lead FEMA largely because of his loyalty to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and DHS. But his time in charge there has been punctuated by some eyebrow-raising moments — like in a June meeting where he told staff he was unaware the US has a hurricane season, a comment DHS later insisted was a joke.
His impending dismissal raises the stakes for FEMA — the agency responsible for helping Americans recover from the nation’s worst disasters — as Noem and DHS prepare for sweeping reforms that could fundamentally reshape its future.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
