Acting FEMA Chief Resigns After 6 Months

David Richardson has resigned as the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, ending a short and controversial tenure at the helm of the nation's disaster response agency. Richardson, who served about six months in the role, was often described as difficult to reach and kept a notably low profile, the Washington Post reports. His inaccessibility drew particular scrutiny during the early hours of catastrophic flooding in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, when he was on a weekend trip with his sons and did not engage in the response until nearly two days after the disaster began.

The Texas floods ultimately claimed at least 130 lives, and Richardson's absence was cited as a factor in delays deploying specialized search-and-rescue teams to the state. FEMA employees said Richardson gradually withdrew from daily operations and appeared to anticipate an early exit, reportedly telling colleagues he did not expect to remain in the job past Thanksgiving. He submitted his resignation letter to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA on Monday, though sources tell CNN that the agency was already planning to oust him.

Richardson, a former Marine Corps artillery officer, took over FEMA in May after the ouster of Cameron Hamilton, who was removed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for publicly opposing the administration's goal of dismantling the agency. After taking over, Richardson told staff at an all-hands meeting, "Don't get in my way. I and I alone speak for FEMA." Earlier this month, Homeland Security barred Richardson from giving interviews or responding to media inquiries, a source tells the Post. In June, the department said Richardson was joking when he told staffers he didn't realize there was a hurricane season.