TO CLOSE

Florence is weakened by a tropical depression, but forecasters warn that the next few days could result in the most destructive floods in the history of North Carolina. The National Hurricane Center says the effect should be "catastrophic". (September 16)
AP

Brock Long, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.(Photo: Deborah Barfield Berry / USA TODAY & # 39; HUI)

WASHINGTON – The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Sunday that he will not step down as news came out of his use of government vehicles for his personal travel.

"I'm here to serve my country every day – that's all I do," said Brock Long, FEMA Administrator, during his appearance on "Meet the Press. "

For a long time, he denied reports that Internal Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen had asked him to resign.

"Secretary Nielsen never asked me to resign," he said. "We have a very functional and professional relationship."

The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security is Politico reported last week that Polito had investigated whether Long "had abused resources and government staff" during his weekend trips to Hickory, North Carolina.

Long reportedly began driving a government driver home after taking control of FEMA last year. The helpers who accompanied him were placed in hotels at the expense of taxpayers, said a politician.

While Florence ravaged the Carolinas Sunday, Long spent much of her time on "Meet the Press", answering questions about the survey.

Long said he cooperated with the investigation and defended his use of government vehicles, which he said were necessary to ensure secure communication.

The vehicle program "worked for me the same way as everyone else," he said. "And you know, I think some of these policies may not have been developed and we can get things done."

Long defended President Donald Trump's denials that 3,000 people in Puerto Rico died a year ago during Hurricane Maria.

In a series of tweets last week, Trump questioned the death toll and claimed it was a Democratic ploy to "make me look as bad as possible".

Trump is on the defensive "because he knows how much these guys behind me work day and night for a very complex situation," said Long. "And it's frustrating."

Studies have calculated the number of deaths differently and "numbers are everywhere," he said.

Be that as it may, "there is too much blame, and we need to focus on what Puerto Rico will look like tomorrow," he said.

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