Sexual Misconduct Allegations Show That the Real FEMA Disaster Is Behind the Scenes
Former FEMA personnel chief Corey Coleman is accused of nepotism and sexual harassment.
Accusations of sexual misconduct and nepotism have come out against former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) personnel chief Corey Coleman just weeks after Coleman resigned in June. The Washington Post reports that Coleman, whose $177,150 salaried, senior-level role began in 2011, allegedly used his position to hire and promote both personal friends and women with whom he had a personal interest, despite their lack of qualifications. He also allegedly instituted practices that placed certain female employees in close proximity to certain male employees for sexual purposes.
The Post reports that it received information about Coleman's behavior from a detailed summary of a seven-month investigation into complaints about the work environment. The investigation was carried out by the staff of FEMA Administrator William "Brock" Long.
"What we uncovered was a systemic problem going back years," Long told the Post.
Coleman is believed to have hired friends, college fraternity brothers, and women he met at bars and through online dating. He is additionally believed to have circumvented official channels to promote his employees. Coleman is also accused of transferring some of the women he hired to various departments and regional offices so that his male friends could attempt to begin sexual encounters with them. Several of those involved still work at FEMA.
The investigation also alleges a sexual relationship between Coleman and two of his subordinates, one in 2015 and one in 2017. The women supposedly accompanied Coleman on work trips. The first woman told investigators that Coleman attempted to retaliate against her after she tried to end the relationship. She said she managed to keep her job by telling Coleman there was a possibility of them being together in the future. The second woman told investigators that Coleman created a new position for her when she expressed that she wanted to leave the agency—she admitted that she was unqualified for the position.
According to Long, some of Coleman's suspected activities could be grounds for criminal charges.
Long also asserted that the problems don't end with Coleman's resignation. He himself claimed to have sent several harassment complaints to the inspector general at FEMA's overseeing federal department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). FEMA officials confirmed to the Post that DHS merely referred the complaints back to FEMA. They also confirmed that several complaints were made against Coleman before Long's arrival at the agency.
Long called for further investigation from DHS in a statement that was released on Monday. He also announced the establishment of an Office of Professional Responsibility to "ensure expeditious, fair, and objective follow-up and resolution of allegations of employee misconduct."
"The biggest problem I may solve here may be the eradication of this cancer," he told the Post. "How many complaints were not heard? I've got to make sure we have a safe working environment for our employees."
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Hey kids, let’s play name that party.
EMA officials gave other details and confirmed that the individual under investigation, whose name was redacted from the report, is Corey Coleman, who led the personnel department from 2011 until his resignation in June.
Gee, what party do you think Coleman is a member of given the fact that he got a high profile civil service job in 2011? It is a mystery that the Post cannot seem to solve. Maybe FEMA was not part of the executive back then.
If he was a Republican, I think we would know it, right?
Even if Coleman were a Republican, it should be obvious that these abuses occur most in institutions the Left reveres: government, Hollywood, the press, etc.
yes it should. But it is funny as hell to watch the Post pretend FEMA was somehow not a part of the Obama Administration when all of this happened. Where the fuck was the administrator?
“Fuck” being a particularly apt term here.
Universities…
Collie, you’re doing a heck of a job!
Of course, John, because the real story here isn’t about a bureaucrat abusing his power, the real story here is which tribe he belonged to.
Not so much what party he belonged to, but how tribal affiliation is only mentioned when it goes one way.
See, we can multitask, so can address the primary subject along with journalistic bias as well.
Or is this just your version of ‘republicans pounce?’
But Obama told us he ran a scandal free administration so this guy must not be part of that. It’s like the press acts as a propaganda arm for the DNC in the way they cover everything.
Coleman then transferred some of the women in and out of departments, some to regional offices, so his friends could try to have sexual relationships with them
Dude should get promoted to Wingman General.
Man takes care of his friends and family and suddenly HE’S the bad guy.
Good one! More posts like this are needed.
And they said a patronage system wouldn’t also reward merit. Those fools.
Another astute observation.
Well, the organization has to do something between emergencies, right?
Always good to know that the civil service system is there to protect federal workers from harassment, and not just to protect idiots from getting fired because they can’t do their job.
Is this the worst problem they can find with FEMA?
Lincoln supposedly said, when someone said Grant was a drunk, that he’d love to have more generals like Grant, drunk or not.
I suspect in the grand scheme of things, the American public would be glad to put up with a pimping FEMA director if he could actually run a tight ship.
I also suspect that’s why a lot of Trumpistas like Trump; he at least seems to not be yer typical politician spouting six bit platitudes.
He’s not the FEMA director he’s the personnel chief. Other than that you make a great point. I mean, pimping out unqualified women to his buddies is an indicator this guy has great organizational skills and loyalty.
If only Obama had known!
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