Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long is resigning nearly two years into the job, which included a finding from his agency’s watchdog that $150,000 went to inappropriate use of federal vehicles for travel back to his home in North Carolina on the weekends.
Brock assumed the position in June 2017 as part of Trump’s initial team entering the White House, and since then, he has overseen the federal government’s response to multiple natural disasters. That includes the wildfires of California, hurricanes Florence and Michael, and the response to damage in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, which drew considerable criticism for long power outages and a range of other problems.
The FEMA inspector general also probed reports about Brock’s expense report. In his trips back to North Carolina, Brock was found to have used a staff driver for the six-hour-plus drive and put his aides up in hotels at taxpayers’ expense. The travel came under investigation after a government-owned vehicle was involved in an accident during the travel.
Long will officially leave FEMA on March 8. Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor will take over as acting administrator, according to Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary for Homeland Security, the department that oversees FEMA. President Trump has not yet named a permanent replacement.
Long said in a statement Wednesday, posted on FEMA’s website, calling his time at the agency a “great honor.”
“It has been a great honor to serve our country as FEMA Administrator for the past two years,” Long said. “During my tenure, the Agency worked more than 220 declared disasters. President Trump, Vice President Pence and Secretary Nielsen have been extremely supportive of me, the FEMA workforce and our mission.”
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
