“Prior to her termination, Ms. Comans was an exemplary employee with absolutely no disciplinary history and had received ‘Achieved Excellence’ ratings for every year that she served as an SES,” the lawsuit says.
The former chief financial officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, has filed a lawsuit challenging her recent termination.
According to The Hill, the Department of Homeland Security fired Mary Comans in February after she authorized an $80 million grant to New York City. The grant allocated funds for the housing of migrants, many of whom were asylum-seekers or otherwise undocumented.
In her lawsuit, Coman said that she was only fired for being “falsely condemned online” by critics, including billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency overseer Elon Musk.
Coman claims that he was fired “without any warning,” and says that she was deprived any opportunity or “process to enable Ms. Comans to appropriately respond” to the allegations against her.
“Additionally, the defendants falsely, deliberately, and publicly portrayed Ms. Comans’ actions in such a manner that third parties have asserted her conduct to have been criminal, which is defamation per se, thereby further contributing to the damages she has suffered,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit includes a screenshot of Elon Musk replying to a Comans-related tweet. In his response, Musk suggested that Comans had committed “A criminal action.”
“Prior to her termination, Ms. Comans was an exemplary employee with absolutely no disciplinary history and had received ‘Achieved Excellence’ ratings for every year that she served as an SES,” the lawsuit says.
Comans lost her job after Elon Musk highlighted the $80 million housing fund on Twitter.
“Effective immediately, FEMA is terminating the employment of four individuals for circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement issued shortly after Comans’ termination.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS will not sit idly and allow deep state activists to undermine the will and safety of the American people,” the department added.
Comans is asking the court to declare that her termination was unlawful; she has also requested monetary damages.
New York City, for its part, is also suing the Trump administration over the grants, with attorneys saying that the federal government has no right to reclaim funds that have already been disbursed.
“No lawful procedure permits Defendants—as they did here—to take back grant funds previously approved and paid without legitimate basis and without first following and complying with the steps required under the applicable rules, grant terms, and conditions,” New York City said in its lawsuit.
Sources
Ex-FEMA official who was fired over migrants staying in ‘luxury’ hotels files lawsuit
Former FEMA CFO sues after firing over New York grant to house migrants
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