FEMA acting chief David Richardson departs after six months on the job

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The acting chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency left his job Monday after just six months, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the latest disruption in a year of mass staff departures, program cuts and policy upheaval at the agency charged with managing federal disaster response.

David Richardson, who in his brief term remained largely out of public sight, is leaving the post after he faced a wave of criticism for his handling of the deadly Texas floods earlier this year. He replaced previous acting head Cameron Hamilton in May.

DHS did not comment on the details of Richardson’s departure, but a FEMA employee familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Richardson resigned. The employee spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the changes with the media.

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security extend their sincere appreciation to the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator, David Richardson, for his dedicated service and wish him continued success in his return to the private sector,” a DHS spokesperson told The Associated Press.

The Washington Post first reported the news about Richardson’s resignation.

A former Marine Corps officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and also led the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction office, Richardson had no previous emergency management experience when he assumed the role of “senior official performing the duties of administrator” in May.

After replacing Hamilton, who was fired one day after telling a House appropriations committee that he did not think FEMA should be eliminated, Richardson vowed to help fulfill President Donald Trump’s goal to push more disaster recovery responsibilities to the states and told FEMA employees he would “ run right over ” anyone who tried to obstruct that mission.

But Richardson’s leadership was questioned by members of Congress and FEMA employees, particularly after remaining largely out of sight after the deadly Texas floods last July that killed at least 136 people.

When asked by a House committee in July why he did not arrive on the ground until one week after the disaster, Richardson said he stayed in Washington, D.C., to “kick down the doors of bureaucracy,” but also said he was camping with his sons for the July 4 weekend when the floods first hit and initially helped manage the response from inside his truck.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has also kept a tight grip on FEMA programs and spending, requiring that she personally approve any agency expenditure over $100,000. Richardson had denied reports that the approval policy slowed down FEMA’s response in Texas.

FEMA Chief of Staff and former cybersecurity official Karen Evans will assume the role on Dec. 1, according to DHS. The FEMA administrator is required by law to have emergency management experience, but the Trump administration has circumvented those requirements up to now by appointing temporary leaders.

The agency has undergone major upheaval since Trump returned to office in January promising to vastly overhaul if not eliminate the agency. About 18% of the agency’s permanent full-time employees had departed as of June, including 24 senior-level staffers, according to the Government Accountability Office.

The Trump administration also has slashed mitigation funding, placed requirements on preparedness grants that compel recipients to comply with Trump’s immigration agenda, and denied several states’ requests for major disaster declaration requests.

DHS did not respond to questions about whether Richardson will still lead the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.

Trump appointed a 12-member review council led by Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deliver recommendations on how to reform FEMA and push more responsibility to the states for disaster preparedness, response and recovery. The council is expected to deliver its recommendations in December.