Magistrate judge clears ex-FEMA CFO Mary Comans, finds officials spread false claims

Left · 2U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick cleared the name of Mary Comans, the former chief financial officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in a written ruling on Tuesday 13 October after a court-run "name-clearing hearing". 1 2 Left · 2He found that officials including then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Elon Musk, who then oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), "engaged in a coordinated public relations campaign to impugn the personal and professional integrity of Ms. Comans". 2 1 Left · 2Comans, a career civil servant with more than 21 years of service, was fired on 11 February 2025; the only reason given to her was the president's constitutional power to remove executive officials. 1 2

Left · 2The same day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release saying she was fired for "circumventing leadership" to make "egregious" payments for luxury New York City hotels for migrants; the judge found the accusations false. 1 2 Left · 2According to the ruling, the payments to state and local governments were continued by decision of senior DHS and FEMA officials and approved by DOGE staff; Comans had no authority to direct money to or away from a grant recipient. 2 3 Left · 1The ruling said DHS spokespeople repeated the claim to outlets including The New York Times, Fox News and CNN, and gave it to commentator Benny Johnson, while Noem and DHS special government employee Corey Lewandowski passed it to activist Laura Loomer, expecting her to spread it to her followers. 1 3

Left · 2The judge found that Musk shared Comans' photo on X on the day of her firing, falsely calling her alleged actions "criminal action", and that he knew or should have known his DOGE subordinates had approved the payments. Fitzpatrick called the post "little more than state sanctioned intimidation". 2 1 Left · 1The government did not object to Comans' version of events, which the ruling treated as conceding the statements were false for purposes of the hearing. 1 Left · 2The hearing followed a July ruling by a district judge that Comans was fired without due process, after she sued in July 2025; Justice Department lawyers had pushed to let the executive branch handle the matter, but Fitzpatrick said an independent judicial officer was essential. 1 2

Left · 2Loomer told The Bulwark "That's news to me" and denied anyone used her; Noem, now a State Department special envoy, and Lewandowski did not respond to requests for comment, and CBS News said it had reached out to DHS and attorneys for Musk and Noem. 3 2