U.S. Senator from Maine Susan Collins (R) is calling for an investigation into reports of widespread political bias in how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers disaster relief, following revelations that an agency supervisor advised relief workers in Florida to avoid homes displaying pro-Trump signs in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

In a Monday letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, Sen. Collins expressed concerns over recent reports that the case in Florida may not be an isolated incident, and that FEMA may have engaged in a broader policy of discrimination based on political affiliation.

“I write to express my concern with recent reports that, in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Florida, a [FEMA] supervisor instructed relief workers to bypass houses based on their political beliefs,” Collins wrote.

“According to these reports, the FEMA supervisor instructed staff to ‘avoid homes advertising Trump,’ resulting in at least 20 houses with Trump flags or campaign signs being bypassed for outreach regarding possible federal disaster assistance,” Collins wrote. “These reports have been verified by FEMA, and the supervisor subsequently terminated.”

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed in a Nov. 9 statement that a now-terminated supervisor advised her survivor assistance team to bypass homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Trump while canvassing in Lake Placid, Florida.

Criswell called the incident “reprehensible” and said that the matter had been referred to the Office of the Special Counsel.

“This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values & principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation,” Criswell said.

However, Sen. Collins references media appearances made in recent weeks by the FEMA supervisor following her termination in which she claimed that the bypassing of houses based on political affiliation was not an isolated incident, but rather a “colossal event of avoidance” by FEMA.

“It is unclear what steps FEMA is taking to further investigate this matter and determine whether this was truly an isolated instance, or whether there are more widespread examples of FEMA limiting its outreach to disaster victims based on political affiliations,” Collins wrote.

“In particular, it is important to know whether FEMA’s policies of avoidance and de-escalation in performing outreach encourage more widespread discrimination based on certain political affiliations,” she wrote.

Collins emphasized the importance of impartiality in disaster response, writing that any disaster funding provided by Congress “must be made available to all affected Americans, and it cannot be conditioned or delayed based on their political views.”

The senior U.S. Senator from Maine asked the DHS Inspector General to investigate the matter to confirm whether or not the FEMA supervisor’s actions were truly a “one-time” occurrence, and whether FEMA’s policies “contribute to a blanket avoidance of individuals with certain political views.”

“I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter, which will help reassure the American people that FEMA provides assistance to all affected by presidentially declared disasters, regardless of political affiliation.

Sen. Collins, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, previously brought up the matter at a Nov. 20 hearing regarding a request from President Joe Biden for nearly $100 billion in supplemental disaster relief funds for communities affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene this fall, as well as by wildfires and last winter’s severe storms in Maine.

“When disaster strikes, the American people should have faith in federal efforts to help them,” Collins said in her remarks during the hearing.

“This outrageous act stands in stark contrast to the very purpose of disaster relief and the trust that we have placed in the agency,” Collins said of the FEMA supervisor’s actions. “There needs to be an Inspector General investigation to help ensure that all those responsible for playing politics with vulnerable people’s lives and homes are held accountable. We must make sure that this discrimination and indifference to suffering can never happen again.”

Read Sen. Collins full letter to DHS Inspector General Cuffari below: