David Richardson, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is stepping down, according to the Department of Homeland Security, ending a troubled tenure just six months into the job and while the Atlantic hurricane season is still underway.
Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer, is the second FEMA head to leave or be fired since May. He departs amid criticism that he kept a low profile during deadly Texas floods in July that killed 130 people and baffled staff in June when he said he was unaware the country had a hurricane season.
A DHS spokesperson gave no reasons for why the FEMA chief was departing. The Washington Post was the first to report that Richardson was leaving.
The DHS spokesperson said in a statement that FEMA chief of staff Karen Evans will replace Richardson, and that FEMA and DHS appreciate Richardson's service.
Richardson's predecessor was fired in May, after pushing back against Trump administration efforts to dismantle the agency. President Donald Trump has said he wants to greatly reduce the size of FEMA - the federal agency responsible for preparing for and responding to natural disasters - saying state governments can handle many of its functions.
FEMA plays a central role in the U.S. response to major disasters, including hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season is due to end this month.
Richardson kept a low public profile compared with FEMA leaders under previous presidents, appearing rarely in public. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has served as the face of the administration’s response to natural disasters during Trump's second term.
Richardson's abrupt departure is an ignominious end for an official who told staff when he first arrived in May that he would "run right over" anyone who resists changes and that all decisions must now go through him.
"I, and I alone in FEMA, speak for FEMA," he said at the time. FEMA has lost about 2,500 employees since January through buyouts, firings and other incentives for staff to quit, reducing its overall size to about 23,350, according to a September Government Accountability Office report.
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