Washington — David Richardson, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is leaving his post, according to five current and former homeland security officials familiar with the decision. Richardson submitted his resignation Monday morning, the officials said.
He served as FEMA’s “Senior Official Performing the Duties” of administrator since May 8, when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly removed his predecessor, Cameron Hamilton. Before leading FEMA, Richardson was assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.
From the outset, Richardson’s leadership style garnered attention. In his first all-hands meeting he told agency staff: “Don’t get in my way … I will run right over you,” and declared, “I and I alone speak for FEMA.”
CBS News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for any comment.
Richardson’s resignation comes amid mounting criticism over FEMA’s response to the devastating central Texas floods in July, which claimed more than 130 lives, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River. Richardson was sharply criticized — including by lawmakers on Capitol Hill — for being inaccessible during the crisis, with FEMA officials telling CBS News that the acting administrator was unreachable for hours, complicating efforts to deploy search-and-rescue teams.
At a congressional hearing in July, Richardson defended FEMA’s performance as a “model” of disaster response, disputing reports of delayed deployments and unanswered calls. He also denied there were lapses in contracts for FEMA’s disaster help line.
