Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
FEMA Head Brock Long, Investigated Over Vehicle Use, Resigns
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
February 14, 2019

Share

WASHINGTON — The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency resigned Wednesday after a two-year tenure in which he managed the response to historic wildfires and major hurricanes but was dogged by questions over his use of government vehicles.

“I appreciate his tireless dedication to FEMA and his commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness across the nation.” — Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen
Brock Long said in a letter to FEMA employees that he was resigning to spend more time at home with his family. His last day is March 8.
He did not mention the investigation by the agency’s watchdog that found he had used government vehicles without authorization, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said last fall that Long would repay the government and would not lose his job.
Nielsen said Long led the agency admirably. “I appreciate his tireless dedication to FEMA and his commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness across the nation,” she said in a statement.
His deputy, Pete Gaynor, will become acting head of the agency.

Longstanding Practice of FEMA Administrators Using Government Vehicles

Word leaked of the internal probe in September, just as Hurricane Florence was landing in the Carolinas. Homeland Security officials said there had been a longstanding practice of FEMA administrators using government vehicles to ensure they could remain connected during a crisis. But the use of government vehicles for home-to-work travel was not officially authorized, and that practice was eliminated in April.
The report by Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General also found Long used government vehicles for non-official reasons. It said this cost taxpayers $94,000 in staff salary, $55,000 in travel expenses and $2,000 in vehicle maintenance.
The House Oversight Committee had also been looking into the allegations.
Long said he accepted full responsibility for the unauthorized use of the vehicles.
He took over FEMA in June 2017, presiding over a particularly grueling hurricane season that included Irma, Harvey and Maria, plus wildfires in California that were the deadliest ever for the state. The response to Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico, has been heavily criticized, and Long has said FEMA learned lessons on how to better prepare.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Clovis Unified Families ‘Resigned’ To Grad Ceremony Ban, Attorney Says

DON'T MISS

Hegseth Orders the Name of Gay Rights Activist Harvey Milk Scrubbed From Navy Ship

DON'T MISS

Knicks Fire Coach Tom Thibodeau After First Eastern Conference Finals Berth in 25 Years

DON'T MISS

US Judge Dismisses California’s Tariff Lawsuit, Teeing up Appeal

DON'T MISS

Young Democrats Offer Lessons for Their Leaders at Party Convention

DON'T MISS

California Prisons Have a Narcotics Problem. Now, More People Will Face Canine Searches

DON'T MISS

After Years of Undrinkable Water, Our Rural California Community Finally Has Hope

DON'T MISS

Fellow Clovis Councilmember, Public Bash Pearce Over Trans Athlete

DON'T MISS

Musk Calls Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill ‘a Disgusting Abomination’

DON'T MISS

US Tariffs Could Put Air Safety at Risk, Aerospace and Airline Industries Warn

UP NEXT

American Doctors Are Moving to Canada To Escape the Trump Administration

UP NEXT

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

UP NEXT

1 in 4 US Children Have Parents With Substance Use Disorder, Study Finds

UP NEXT

Dozens Sickened in Expanding Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Recalled Cucumbers

UP NEXT

Speaker Johnson Raises Campaign Money in Fresno

UP NEXT

Business Insider Cuts 21% of Workforce, Memo Shows

UP NEXT

Harvard Agrees to Relinquish Early Photos of Slaves, Ending a Long Legal Battle

UP NEXT

Silence on E. Coli Outbreak Highlights How Trump Team’s Changes Undermine Food Safety

UP NEXT

Trump Pardons Tax Cheat After Mother Attends $1 Million Dinner

UP NEXT

NPR Sues Trump Administration Over Executive Order to Cut Funding

US Judge Dismisses California’s Tariff Lawsuit, Teeing up Appeal

7 hours ago

Young Democrats Offer Lessons for Their Leaders at Party Convention

8 hours ago

California Prisons Have a Narcotics Problem. Now, More People Will Face Canine Searches

8 hours ago

After Years of Undrinkable Water, Our Rural California Community Finally Has Hope

8 hours ago

Fellow Clovis Councilmember, Public Bash Pearce Over Trans Athlete

8 hours ago

Musk Calls Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill ‘a Disgusting Abomination’

9 hours ago

US Tariffs Could Put Air Safety at Risk, Aerospace and Airline Industries Warn

9 hours ago

Trump to Sign Order Doubling Metals Tariffs, White House Says

9 hours ago

California Inmate Gets Five Years for Role in Drone Drug Smuggling Scheme

10 hours ago

Millions Invested in Land for Innovation Village. Will It Be a Fresno Game-Changer?

10 hours ago

Clovis Unified Families ‘Resigned’ To Grad Ceremony Ban, Attorney Says

Barring any last-minute about-faces by Clovis Unified officials, eight high school seniors won’t be joining their classmates at their ...

4 hours ago

4 hours ago

Clovis Unified Families ‘Resigned’ To Grad Ceremony Ban, Attorney Says

5 hours ago

Hegseth Orders the Name of Gay Rights Activist Harvey Milk Scrubbed From Navy Ship

5 hours ago

Knicks Fire Coach Tom Thibodeau After First Eastern Conference Finals Berth in 25 Years

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a chart next to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick as Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
7 hours ago

US Judge Dismisses California’s Tariff Lawsuit, Teeing up Appeal

8 hours ago

Young Democrats Offer Lessons for Their Leaders at Party Convention

8 hours ago

California Prisons Have a Narcotics Problem. Now, More People Will Face Canine Searches

8 hours ago

After Years of Undrinkable Water, Our Rural California Community Finally Has Hope

8 hours ago

Fellow Clovis Councilmember, Public Bash Pearce Over Trans Athlete

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend