EMA retaliated against employees who signed the Katrina Declaration last August by placing them on indefinite administrative leave; they’ve just been returned to work
Yesterday, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees who were illegally placed on administrative leave for exercising their First Amendment and whistleblower rights were ordered back to work. On August 25, 2025, the employees sent a dissent letter to Congress—The FEMA Katrina Declaration—protesting gross waste and mismanagement, abuses of authority, dangers to public health and safety, and violations of laws, rules and regulations by Agency management.
The next day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) put the public signers on indefinite administrative leave, ordered them to cease all work and not contact anyone at FEMA and DHS. FEMA’s Office of Professional Responsibility then began retaliatory investigations of the public signers. During this time, the signers filed whistleblower complaints with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC). They were assisted by Government Accountability Project, in partnership with Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) and Stand Up for Science (SUFS), and pro bono counsel Brandy Mai (brandy@bmailawyer.com), Andrew D. Rotstein (andrew.d.rotstein@gmail.com) and Joshua R. Cohen and Ellen R. Kramer (jcohen@crklaw.com).
David Z. Seide, Of Counsel at Government Accountability Project, said:
The signers of the Katrina Declaration are returning to work. It’s been eight long months, and today we celebrate their reinstatement. They are brave whistleblowers; it’s been an honor to assist them.Special kudos to our outstanding partners and thanks to OSC staff for its help.
Amy Powell, Litigation Director of Lawyers for Good Government, said:
Lawyers for Good Government and our volunteers are proud to stand with the FEMA whistleblowers. All of our clients who were placed on administrative leave have now been fully reinstated, but reinstatement is just the first step. These public servants fulfilled their legal and moral obligation by exposing serious threats to public safety, and future whistleblowers deserve protection, not punishment. We urge both FEMA and Congress to take their warnings seriously and begin the critical work of reform, ensuring accountability for the failures they exposed.
Colette Delawalla, Founder and Executive Director of Stand Up for Science, said:
Our team at Stand Up for Science is pleased to see all Katrina Declaration signers reinstated. We are proud of these public servants for speaking up and continue to rally behind all who desire to use their First Amendment rights and whistleblower protections to call attention to the harms this Administration’s policies are causing for the American public. We share the following statement from the Katrina Declaration Signers:
We’re thrilled that our coworkers have been reinstated and are back to serving the American people. These actions reaffirm what we’ve said all along: these employees did nothing wrong. Their retaliation was part of a broader pattern that also targeted employees at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, The United States Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health. We call for every one of those workers be reinstated immediately.
The retaliation was a wasteful and costly political stunt, and the concerns we raised in the Katrina Declaration remain unresolved. Programs are still stalled, funding remains frozen, and our ability to respond to disasters continues to be weakened. As we work toward real solutions, it’s critical that leaders listen to the people who know this work best, the experts and professionals who understand what it takes to build a stronger FEMA. We urge Congress to advance the FEMA Act now so the agency can restore stability, uphold its legal obligations, and protect communities effectively. The work ahead is significant, and we will continue to stand up and speak out for disaster survivors everywhere.# # #
About L4GG
Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of 125,000 lawyers, law students, and advocates in the fight for justice. We identify where lawyers can make the greatest impact and mobilize them to defend democracy and the rule of law, protect civil and human rights, and advance environmental justice through coordinated legal action and advocacy efforts that create meaningful change for all Americans. lawyersforgoodgovernment.org
About Government Accountability Project
Founded in 1977, Government Accountability Project is the leading international whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, Government Accountability Project’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government, corporate, and international organization accountability. Government Accountability Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.
About SUFS
Stand Up for Science is a grassroots Washington, D.C. based 501(c)4 non-profit organization mobilizing the fight for science and democracy. We formed Stand Up for Science within days of executive orders breaking down federal science agencies. Weeks later, on March 7th, our first National Day of Action, we mobilized over 50,000 people at 170+ events across the world in support of science. Stand Up for Science has captured widespread national and international media attention, and federal scientists across multiple agencies (i.e., NIH, EPA and NASA) have chosen Stand Up for Science as the platform for their dissent against this administration.