Alarm grows inside FEMA as director Brock Long fights for his work

As the hurricane season begins at its peak, an internal investigation has endangered its chief culprit, causing an increasingly strong reaction within the agency where career officials and even some politicians fear

FEMA's director, William "Brock" Long, would resist an effort by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to replace it with his alleged hijacking of government vehicles. The quarrel between senior Trump administration officials has emerged publicly in recent days as FEMA and the US Department of Homeland Security prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Florence.

[As Florence arrives, FEMA and its administrator face mounting scrutiny]

The prospect of Mr. Long's dismissal alarmed the current and former staff of FEMA and DHS, and drew the attention of Capitol Hill officials, who note that the agency's No. 2 position has been vacant for almost two years. Peter Gaynor is still waiting for confirmation from the Senate. Trump's original candidate for the position, Daniel Craig, withdrew from the discussion a year ago after reports were published that the DHS Inspector General had discovered that he had falsified documents from work while working for the George W. Bush administration.

The third FEMA commander, Daniel Kaniewski, could take over, at least temporarily, if Long were to leave. But his political and academic background – and lack of practical experience in emergency management – has raised concerns that an internal reshuffle would destabilize the agency at the worst time.

This story of the struggle for power and internal conflicts at FEMA and DHS is based on interviews with 14 former and current congressional officials and assistants. Most spoke on condition of anonymity to offer a candid assessment of the issue.

"Who in their mind thought it was a good idea to try to remove the FEMA administrator in the middle of a storm?", Said a former senior FEMA official, angry at them. Millions of Americans threatened by internal struggles. Florence. "Even if this is your goal, keep it for after the hurricane."

[Florence: At least five dead, nearly 1 million without power as storm swamps Carolinas]

Long, a former emergency manager whom staff described as highly respected in the agency, is under investigation by the DHS Inspector General for his use of government vehicles during the weekend between Washington and his home in North Carolina to see his wife and young children. Investigators monitored Long during these trips, which would include other FEMA staff members, raising internal questions about his use of government resources, a senior administration official said Saturday.

The surveillance of the Inspector General of Long was reported Friday by the Wall Street Journal.

An official familiar with Mr. Long's schedule stated that although Mr. Long had often returned home, the demands of his job involved significant blocks of time away from his family. During a period from late August to early December – at the height of last year's hurricane season – Long did not return to North Carolina for Hurricane Harvey, Puerto Rico and to the Virgin Islands for Hurricane Maria and Florida for Hurricane Irma and California to assess FEMA's response to forest fires.

Long told his colleagues that he did not intend to resign and remains focused on coordinating FEMA's response to Florence, which killed at least five people and caused widespread floods in the Carolinas. In a briefing on Thursday, Long denied doing anything incongruous, saying it was not part of my DNA.

DHS and White House officials, including Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, discussed the replacement of Long, but decided to wait for Florence to pass and the Inspector General's team to finish. his investigation, said the senior official. They recognize that Long is very competent and that the allegations against him are a dilemma.

In a statement, White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said: "We are aware of the allegations and will review the IG's report when it is completed. However, at present, the administration is working tirelessly in the preparation and implementation of a broad federal support effort for victims of Hurricane Florence . "

DHS officials said Nielsen denies asking Long to leave and that she is "confident in FEMA's leadership and proven disaster management capacity."

Long has kept a low profile since the news of the investigation was leaked to the media. Asked if Long would stay in the job, Byard said, "Our director is our director. He made it clear to our team that the focus was on Florence. "

Nielsen's alleged willingness to kidnap Long has been around for months, according to people familiar with the case, who believe the Inspector General's investigation of Long is part of Nielsen's efforts to change FEMA. According to three current and former colleagues, she and Kaniewski are close friends and roommates.

The current and former FEMA official said there would be a concern within the agency if Nielsen were to put Kaniewski in the first position, albeit temporary, as a new permanent director would be selected.

Kaniewski was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in September 2017 for the role of FEMA's Deputy Administrator in preparation. His title has since become Assistant Administrator for "Resilience". In this capacity, he oversees areas such as insurance, preparedness and grants, according to FEMA officials.

Kaniewski holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Washington University, taught as an Adjunct at Georgetown University, and worked at a University Think Tank, a Disaster Risk Modeling Society, and a Research Center. funded by the federal government. Yet despite his academic background and political background, he has little experience in managing disaster response.

Jessica Nalepa, spokeswoman for FEMA, said Kanieswki was "highly regarded in the emergency management community and had been an invaluable member of the Administration's management team during multiple major disasters. ".

"He is currently actively involved in the agency's response to Hurricane Florence," she said in a statement.

The main FEMA position was held by a public servant with extensive experience in disaster management since the failed federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed more than 1,800 people. Legislation passed as a result of this storm requires that the FEMA Administrator have at least five years of experience, although the vague wording of the law allows this experience to come from areas other than crisis management.

"After Katrina, the FEMA administrator qualification has changed dramatically. No more "Brownies," said a DHS official, referring to Michael Brown, a former FEMA director, who has become a symbol of government incompetence when critics have pondered a hell of a job.

[‘Heck of a job Brownie’ spreads the Katrina blame in new book]

The bitter memories of this episode could make it difficult for a political expert like Kaniewski to get into the head pack if Long goes away.

"I have a lot of confidence in his abilities, but at the same time I do not want to see someone replace Brock," said former director R. David Paulison, who took over FEMA in 2005 after the Brown's resignation.

But Kaniewski has a strong advocate in Nielsen, with whom he worked as a Bush Homeland Security Advisor and later at George Washington University's Center for Cyber ​​and Homeland Security. Last year, while Nielsen was DHS chief of staff, she did Kaniewski's appointment as FEMA's deputy administrator has been canceled, according to a Congressman who knows the process.

A DHS official, working closely with Nielsen, denied the account and said Kaniewski was still destined to be responsible for preparing for FEMA, not the assistant administrator.

Those who worked with Long described him as "revered" among FEMA staff and state-level disaster managers. He was Director of Emergency Management for the State of Alabama and prior to that, Regional Director of the FEMA Hurricane Program.

"It's disturbing because I do not know you can find many more with this level of experience," said Mark Cooper, who has worked for three decades in disaster response and is currently the chief of staff of the Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. Cooper worked closely with Long during hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008, while they were leading the response efforts of the states of Alabama and Louisiana, respectively.

"It has welcomed thousands of our residents while few other states were willing to do it," Cooper said. "And since he was at FEMA, he was on 24/7. There was no time we went out, whether it was Sunday or late at night, when he was not sensitive to us. "

Current and former FEMA officials also noted that Long has held several key political appointment positions with experienced emergency managers. They are worried that if he is deported, these veteran veterans can leave with him or be replaced by less experienced veterans.

Others fear that even if Long survives, the frantic relationship with Nielsen could exacerbate the existing problems between FEMA and DHS. "Problems have arisen in this relationship that preceded them," said a FEMA staff member. "In disasters, the FEMA administrator is the main advisor to the president. It is they who are in front of the camera and direct the charge, even though they apparently report to DHS. This has always been a source of friction. "

However, a former FEMA official said a change in direction, even though the hurricane season, may have less impact than some fears. "The reality is that the career people who worked at the agency for years could manage FEMA for a while," said the former, "but that's only true if politicians stay at the agency. gap ".

Philip Rucker and Mark Berman contributed to this report.