FEMA chief Long resigns ‘to go home’
Head of agency clashed with his superior Nielsen
WASHINGTON — Less than two years into a tenure marked by five major hurricanes, multiple lethal wildfires and a tense relationship with his boss, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator William “Brock” Long resigned Wednesday “to go home to my family,” as he put it in an official statement released by the agency.
Peter Gaynor, who has served as Long’s deputy, will assume acting administrator duties.
“This is one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make,” Long wrote in a long farewell letter emailed to FEMA staffers. “Thank you for an incredible journey and for the support you have shown me.”
Long clashed with his direct superior, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, in September, when Nielsen appeared intent on forcing Long out of his job even as Hurricane Florence dumped historic amounts of rain on the Carolinas. The relationship deteriorated when an internal investigation became public. The inspector general for Homeland Security looked into Long’s use of government vehicles to travel between Washington and his home in North Carolina.
In the middle of the storm, Long told colleagues at FEMA that he was on the verge of quitting. But he was popular in the agency and stayed — until Wednesday, when he surprised his colleagues with his decision to leave.
In an interview with The Washington Post in September, Long called his relationship with Nielsen “professional and functional” and added, “We both understand what needs to be done.” But behind the scenes, Nielsen was irritated with Long for not attending early-morning meetings with top-level DHS staffers, and she disapproved of his absences from Washington when he visited his family in North Carolina, an administration official said in September.
The FEMA administrator has an unusual role. FEMA is part of Homeland Security, so Nielsen was Long’s boss, but a FEMA administrator simultaneously has authority to offer advice directly to the president during disasters. This competing chain of command contributed to the friction between Nielsen and Long, several current and former administration officials said.
Long became mired in the controversy over his use of government vehicles. Long’s improper use of government resources, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general determined, cost taxpayers $94,000 in staff salary, $55,000 in travel expenses and $2,000 in vehicle maintenance. FEMA officials have said Long took corrective steps in recent months to resolve the travel issue.
An agency spokeswoman said Wednesday that his departure was unrelated to the vehicle controversy.
“It honestly has nothing to do with the travel issue. He’s been away from his family for a long time,” said Lizzie Litzow, the FEMA press secretary. “And he’s chosen this moment to make sure the new administrator has enough time to prepare for upcoming hurricane season before it hits.”