Marn’i Washington, the former FEMA employee who was fired after it was revealed she told FEMA volunteers to avoid homes with Trump signs, claims she’s been made a scapegoat to cover up a larger, systematic policy within FEMA.

Washington, who had worked with FEMA since 2019, insisted that her directive “was not isolated” and had also been used in North Carolina.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, she said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is lying about the origins of the order, pinning it solely on her while covering up a broader, unofficial protocol.

“I have information that proves FEMA is lying,” she told the outlet, stating that more employees were aware of and even followed similar avoidance tactics.

According to Washington, her directive was rooted in concerns for volunteer safety rather than political bias. In her first public appearance since the firing, she told podcast host Roland Martin that FEMA’s operational guidelines emphasize “avoidance first, and then de-escalation.”

She claims this practice wasn’t isolated to Trump supporters; instead, it was based on safety concerns after FEMA teams experienced hostility on certain streets, many of which displayed political signage.

“If you look at the record, there is what you call a community trend,” she explained. Washington alleged that FEMA personnel on the ground often faced confrontational encounters in communities where Trump support was most visible, and avoidance of certain areas was a strategy for minimizing risk.

Her version of events sharply contrasts with FEMA’s official stance. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell swiftly distanced the agency from Washington, calling her actions a “clear violation of FEMA’s core values.” FEMA has since referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel, and Washington’s firing was presented as a decisive action to reaffirm FEMA’s commitment to neutrality and impartial aid.

But Washington insists she is a “scapegoat” in a larger, unsanctioned pattern of behavior at FEMA. She claims other FEMA teams have also practiced avoidance in areas with visible hostility, whether the hostility originated from Trump or Biden supporters.

“Not just in Florida,” she revealed, “You will find avoidance in the Carolinas.”

Washington stated that she was directly following FEMA protocol and claims her directive was about protecting volunteers, not about denying service based on political views. “Not all Floridians have been unpleasant,” she said, “but those who are very passionate about their disdain for FEMA… have no problem expressing it.”