Trump-supporting storm victims were reportedly abandoned and left to suffer — so Florida is taking FEMA to court



Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) filed a lawsuit against current and former officials with the Biden-Harris administration's Federal Emergency Management Agency.

On Thursday, Moody announced that she would be "taking swift legal action" in response to reports that FEMA officials instructed the agency's workers to bypass homes of President-elect Donald Trump supporters during the relief efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

'I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination reaches.'

Marn'i Washington, a former FEMA hurricane relief supervisor, allegedly told relief workers to avoid homes with pro-Trump signs in Lake Placid, Florida.

The agency has since fired Washington. The now-terminated worker insisted that she was being used as a "scapegoat" and that the practice was "not isolated," Blaze News previously reported.

Moody declared that she filed a lawsuit against current and former FEMA officials for "conspiracy to discriminate against Florida hurricane victims who support President-elect Donald Trump."

"According to whistleblower reports, FEMA workers in Lake Placid were directed to ignore storm victims in households that displayed Trump signs or flags," a press release from Moody's office read. "In an interview following these damning revelations, fired FEMA supervisor Marn'i Washington claimed political discrimination by FEMA is not an isolated event and occurred across the country."

The AG's complaint stated, "FEMA workers followed these instructions and entered in a government database messages such as 'Trump sign no entry per leadership.' According to whistleblowers, 'at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags' in Lake Placid, Florida 'were skipped from the end of October and into November due to the guidance.'"

The Florida AG is seeking punitive damages.

Moody said, "Hurricane season is not over, and the federal agency in charge of emergency response is embroiled in scandal – caught withholding aid from storm victims in Florida who support President Trump."

"I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination reaches and to make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served, regardless of their political affiliation," she added.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) said, "It's unacceptable for the federal government to discriminate against Floridians who voted for Trump, and especially egregious in the aftermath of a hurricane. I'm supportive of this legal action by the Attorney General's Office, and I have instructed state agencies to likewise take any action necessary to investigate and ensure those who engaged in this behavior are held accountable."

In response to Moody's lawsuit, a FEMA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the agency "does not comment on pending litigation."

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Florida sues Biden-Harris admin for allegedly hindering removal of noncitizens from voter rolls: ‘Dismantle the barriers’



Florida and its Department of State filed a lawsuit this week against the Biden-Harris administration, claiming it is hindering the state from removing noncitizens from its voter rolls.

A copy of the lawsuit, obtained by Fox News Digital, notes, "Florida has an obligation to maintain accurate and current voter registration records," and the "federal government has an obligation to cooperate with the States in ensuring only citizens vote in their elections."

'The Biden-Harris administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into the country, and we must ensure that only citizens are on our voter rolls.'

However, according to the state, the Biden-Harris administration "is refusing to comply with these obligations and frustrating Florida's ability to maintain the integrity of its elections."

The complaint added that Florida is incapable of tracking voters' citizenship status on its own and, therefore, requires the federal government's assistance, particularly from the Department of Homeland Security.

To track immigration and citizenship status, the DHS, through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, established the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, an online verification service.

According to the lawsuit, the online service should be available to states upon request. However, the suit claims that "the federal government refused to make the SAVE program available" to Florida, which aims to use it to protect election integrity.

Following a 2012 lawsuit, the Florida Department of State and the DHS "entered into a memorandum of agreement … that allowed FDOS to access the SAVE program to verify citizenship and immigration status information for persons on Florida's voter registration rolls."

However, in order to use the service to check on an individual's immigration status, Florida stated that it must already have the biographic data and a unique immigration identifier belonging to that person.

The lawsuit claimed that the FDOS discovered "a number of individuals" who it had reason to believe may be noncitizens who are registered to vote. In an attempt to check on the individuals' citizenship status, the FDOS sent a letter to USCIS requesting verification because it lacks unique immigration identifiers to access the information through the SAVE program.

According to Florida, the "USCIS denied FDOS's request for further information about the specific individuals in question and refused to offer any means of identifying immigration status beyond the SAVE program."

"Florida has identified a subset of individuals for whom it cannot verify citizenship or immigration status through SAVE and for whom DHS refuses to verify citizenship or immigration status through other means," the lawsuit read.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody told Fox News Digital, "Voting is a right granted to American citizens — not illegal immigrants or other noncitizens. The Biden-Harris administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into the country, and we must ensure that only citizens are on our voter rolls."

"I am taking legal action against the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Mayorkas to ensure Florida is able to maintain the integrity of our state's voter rolls," Moody added.

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said, "Florida is calling on the federal government to dismantle the barriers blocking the states from obtaining critical information needed to prevent noncitizens from voting in our elections."

A spokesperson for the DHS told Fox News Digital that the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

The spokesperson added, "More broadly, USCIS has engaged with Florida and will continue to correspond with them directly through official channels. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administers an online information service called SAVE that allows registered and authorized agencies, including election authorities in states, to verify certain individuals' citizenship or immigration status."

"SAVE is the most secure and efficient way to verify an individual's citizenship or immigration status, including for verification regarding voter registration and/or voter list maintenance," the DHS spokesperson continued. "By inputting an individual's name, unique DHS-issued immigration identifier, and birthdate, registered agencies can determine whether that person has obtained U.S. citizenship through the naturalization process or, for certain other individuals born abroad, whether USCIS has information confirming their U.S. citizenship."

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DeSantis Taps Florida AG Office To Oversee Investigation Into Trump Assassination Attempt

'[I]t's not in the best interest of ... our nation to have the same federal agencies [prosecuting] Trump leading this investigation.'

State AGs question Temu over suspected forced labor, CCP ties: 'Deeply troubling'



A group of 21 Republican state attorneys general sent a letter to Temu, a Chinese online retailer, and its parent company, PDD Holdings, Inc., requesting information about its business practices and ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, the group questioned whether the company was "illegally selling products made by forced labor in an area of China in which the CCP is committing genocide." Additionally, they noted that PDD Holdings has been "credibly accused" of being linked to the CCP.

'Temu's business practices and apparent ties to the Chinese Communist Party are deeply concerning.'

The letter was prompted by "disturbing" discoveries made last year by the U.S. House Select Committee on the CCP.

It stated, "Temu admitted to the Select Committee that 'it does not have a policy in place to prohibit the sale of goods from Xinjiang—the location of the CCP's ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs—on [your] platform.'"

"Instead, Temu claimed it is not subject to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," the letter continued. "Not only that, but the Select Committee found that 'Temu conducts no audits and reports no compliance system to affirmatively examine and ensure compliance with the UFLPA'—relying instead on your China-based suppliers to voluntarily report violations of 'boilerplate terms and conditions that prohibit the use of forced labor.'"

According to the state AGs, the e-commerce giant's "poor compliance system virtually ensures" that some of its products are made with forced labor.

"This conduct is deeply troubling in its own right," the group wrote. They noted that if Temu's alleged "harmful" practices were not rectified, they would "consider all available measures to protect our citizens."

The state AGs requested additional information from Temu, including asking whether it collects U.S. consumer data and whether that data is being sold or has been requested by the CCP. They also asked the company to clarify how it ensures products sold on its website are not created with slave labor. Temu was asked to respond within 30 days.

State AGs Steven Marshall of Alabama, Treg Taylor of Alaska, Ashley Moody of Florida, and Christopher Carr of Georgia also signed the letter.

Knudsen told Fox News Digital, "Temu's business practices and apparent ties to the Chinese Communist Party are deeply concerning."

"As attorney general, it's my job to protect Montanans from bad actors who may be coming after their sensitive consumer data and hold anyone who has violated our consumer protection laws accountable. I look forward to hearing from the company to ensure their business practices are in line with Montana law and data is not being shared with the CCP," he added.

Temu did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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2 illegal aliens arrested in largest fentanyl bust in Florida county's history: 'Didn't come here to better themselves'



Polk County Sheriff's Office in Florida recently announced the "single-largest" fentanyl bust in the county's history, the department revealed in a Friday press conference, WTVT reported.

The sheriff's office launched the investigation into the illicit operation in August after it learned about an organized drug trafficking operation based out of Mexico. The department arrested four individuals in connection with the scheme and seized 14 kilograms of fentanyl, two vehicles, and $5,261 in cash. Two of the suspected criminals, Pedro Rodriguez Correa and Maria Machuca-Alderete, were in the country illegally, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. The other two individuals, Maria Guadalupe-Garcia and Sergio Garcia, were from California.

"It seems like every time I come up here to talk about fentanyl with my colleagues I'm always saying, 'It's the largest fentanyl seizure in the state of Florida' and, once again, that's what I'm saying today with a seizure of 14 kilos of fentanyl," Judd stated Friday morning. "This is the single-largest seizure in the history of Polk County and that's nothing to be proud of."

One of the detained suspects, Guadalupe-Garcia, told deputies that she did not know anything about the narcotics and claimed to be delivering a box of diapers.

"When was the last time you picked up a box of Huggies that weighed 27 pounds? Maria, we don't have any Huggies in the county jail, but we will have you there," Judd said, according to WTVT.

"They didn't come here to better themselves and their family," he continued, referring to the two illegal migrants. "They came here to kill people in America with a deadly drug through a porous border that we need to seal off."

According to Judd, the amount of drugs seized in the bust is enough to kill one-third of Florida's population. He stated that the traffickers expected to be paid $42,500 for the delivery from Mexico to Florida. In total, the 14 kilogram shipment was worth $3.5 million, the office reported.

According to the sheriff's office, Rodriguez-Correa, the driver for the criminal organization, brought a six-year-old boy along for the fentanyl delivery. The Florida Department of Children and Families seized custody of the child.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Machuca-Alderete and Rodriguez-Correa for being in the country illegally.

Machuca-Alderete was charged with trafficking fentanyl, maintaining a vehicle to traffic illegal drugs, resisting arrest with violence, battery on an officer, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and possession of drug paraphernalia, WTVT reported.

Rodriguez-Correa was charged with trafficking fentanyl, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the outlet.

Guadalupe-Garcia and Sergio Garcia were both charged with trafficking fentanyl, maintaining a vehicle to traffic illegal drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A fifth suspect, whose identity has not been released to the public, is still at large and wanted for similar charges.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said during the Friday news conference, "I would submit to you that an appropriate response would not just be, 'We are going to address the cartels with hugs, not violence.' But how about how I have demanded and suggested in that we declare the cartels terrorist organizations and we designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction."

"Over the past year, the PCSO seized 30 additional kilograms of fentanyl - about enough to kill all the people in the state of Florida," according to the sheriff's office.


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DeSantis tells Biden administration to pound sand: Florida 'will not comply' with woke Title IX rules



The Biden administration released its final Title IX regulations last week, effectively establishing "gender identity" as a protected class and requiring tens of thousands of schools across the country to embrace radical gender ideology, largely at the expense of girls.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) told the Democratic administration to pound sand Thursday, declaring the Sunshine State "will not comply."

Rules from radicals

According to the late Birch Bayh of Indiana, the Democratic senator who formally introduced Title IX to Congress in 1972, the purpose behind the original statute was to address institutional discrimination against women in federally funded education programs and activities.

The Biden administration — ostensibly stricken with a strain of social constructivism that has left it incapable of defining what a woman is and is not — infected Title IX with its philosophy last week, making changes that former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told the National Review "guts the half century of protections and opportunities for women and callously replaces them with radical gender theory, as Biden's far-left political base demanded."

"I never thought I'd see the day where Title IX would be used to harm women, but sadly, that day has come," added DeVos.

Blaze News previously reported that under the new rules, sex discrimination now includes sexual preferences and "gender identity." Sex-based harassment now includes "harassment" on these bases.

The Biden Department of Education clarified that schools can no longer separate or treat people differently based on sex, stressing that preventing "someone from participating in school (including in sex-separate activities) consistent with their gender identity causes that person more than de minimis harm."

In effect, federally funded institutions and programs must allow trans-identifying men into women's locker rooms and restrooms. Those that refuse could face legal action.

DOE Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement, "These final regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation's students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights."

'Where woke goes to die'

After securing a landslide re-election win in 2022 and swearing his oath of office on a Bible on loan from nationally syndicated radio host and cofounder of Blaze Media Glenn Beck, Republican Gov. DeSantis emphasized that "Florida is where woke goes to die."

DeSantis, who has so far made good on that pledge, doubled down Thursday, stating in a video, "Florida rejects Joe Biden's attempt to rewrite Title IX. We will not comply and will fight back."

"We are not going to let Joe Biden try to inject men into women's activities. We are not going to let Joe Biden undermine the rights of parents. And we are not going to let Joe Biden abuse his constitutional authority to try to impose these policies on us here in Florida," added the governor.

"We are not going to let Biden get away with it," continued DeSantis, whose state made the invasion of women's bathrooms by men a criminal offense last year. "We will not comply."

— (@)

Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. noted on X, "Biden's proposed changes will harm students and eliminate protections for girls at school. We will not fall in line with this radical agenda!"

Diaz noted Wednesday in a letter to superintendents, "At Governor Ron DeSantis' direction, no educational institutions should begin implementing any changes."

The education commissioner stressed that "instead of implementing Congress's clear directive to prevent discrimination based on biological sex, the Biden administration maims the statute beyond recognition" in an effort to "gaslight the country into believing that biological sex no longer has any meaning."

"In doing so, it seeks to commandeer Florida's educational institutions and force them to violate various federal and state laws, including the First Amendment and Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, as well as statutes to protect students' privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms," continued Diaz. "In Florida, we respect parents’ rights to direct their children’s education. We protect our students’ safety and privacy. And we make sure every student is given the chance to thrive on and off campus. We will keep pressing to accomplish these goals."

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody made clear that the Sunshine State would be challenging "this betrayal of women in court."

Biden\u2019s new Title IX rules shred protections for women\u2014that so many fought for over decades. The idea that young girls can now legally be forced to undress in the same room with males in what is supposed to be a safe space like a locker room, that a young woman could be randomly\u2026
— (@)

DeSantis' initiative was lauded by various conservatives and parental rights advocates.

State Rep. Fred Deutsch (R) of South Dakota said, "Every state should follow Florida's lead to reject Biden's rewrite of Title IX."

Nicky Neily, founder and president of Parents Defending Education, wrote, "We need more courageous leaders like Governor Ron DeSantis who reject and fight back against the Biden Administration's extreme Title IX changes."

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Florida Supreme Court Rules To Allow Deceptive Abortion Amendment On November Ballot

If the proposed amendment passes, abortionists in Florida could deem abortion at any stage of pregnancy necessary for a woman’s ‘health.’

Florida Attorney General Asks State Supreme Court To Intervene In Proposed Abortion Amendment

'Ideological principals'

Florida Arrests Two Residents For Illegally Voting In Previous Elections

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced two residents have been arrested on charges related to illegal voting in prior elections.

Florida Charges 20 Individuals For Committing Voter Fraud In Past Elections

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday that the state has charged and will be arresting nearly two dozen individuals for committing voter fraud in state elections. Speaking at a press conference on election integrity, DeSantis revealed that the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security, in conjunction with the Florida Attorney General’s office, had […]