FEMA and Whistleblowers

DHS told Axios that 14 FEMA employees who signed the 'Katrina Declaration' criticizing the administration’s disaster response were briefly and 'without authorization' reinstated Monday, then promptly returned to administrative leave. The workers—who filed whistleblower complaints with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel after being sidelined this summer—had received return‑to‑work notices last week before senior leadership reversed the move the same day.