Lawmakers seek answers about sexual misconduct at FEMA

Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee want to know what action the Federal Emergency Management Agency took in response to multiple reports of sexual harassment and general misconduct by a high-ranking official.

Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Gary Peters, D-Mich., sent letters Aug. 27 to both the FEMA administrator and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General requesting information on how the agency responded to complaints against FEMA Chief Component Human Capital Officer Corey Coleman.

According to the letter to FEMA, the DHS OIG first received a sexual misconduct complaint against Coleman May 1, 2017, alleging that he had improper sexual relationships with two employees. An internal investigation into the complaint, however, did not begin until December of that year.

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