A firestorm has erupted in recent days amid allegations that political bias played a role in the disbursement of federal relief in the wake of recent hurricanes that left a swath of devastation in several southern states.

As internal finger-pointing and claims of unfair scapegoating emerge, residents of one impacted area in Florida are speaking out about their experiences with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), amid demands from lawmakers and others for answers and accountability, as the New York Post reports.

FEMA supervisor fired

The controversy began to take shape earlier this week when news emerged that a FEMA employee named Marn'i Washington was fired for telling workers assisting hurricane survivors to ignore residences with campaign signage indicating support for Donald Trump, as CBS News reported.

Seemingly confirming what a whistleblower alleged about Washington's conduct in the aftermath of the storms, agency administrator Deanne Criswell issued a statement declaring the situation “reprehensible.”

“This is a clear violation of FEMA's core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation,” Criswell added.

Washington responds

Washington, for her part, has since spoken out against what she feels is the agency's attempt to use her as a scapegoat for a broader directive, declaring, as the Post noted separately, that her conduct was not an “isolated” incident.

Speaking to podcast host Roland Martin, Washington claimed that she was simply adhering to agency policy that instructs relief workers to steer clear of “politically hostile” homes.

“FEMA preaches avoidance first, and then de-escalation. This is not isolated. This is a colossal event of avoidance. Not just in the state of Florida. You will find avoidance in the Carolinas,” she said.

Another FEMA official told the Post that the directive to skip over “white or conservative-dominated” disaster zones is something of an open secret that is not new to the recent election cycle in which Trump-supporting homes were intentionally bypassed.

Lake Placid residents speak out

People living in Lake Placid, Florida, the town at the heart of the FEMA storm, have since come forward to confirm that they did not see representatives of the federal agency in the aftermath of the storms, lending credence to the theory of purposeful neglect.

Stu Randal, whose home had a Trump sign on display ahead of the election, told the Post, “I heard nothing from FEMA before this week.”

Highlands County, which contains Lake Placid, went for Trump over Kamala Harris by a margin of 70% to 30%, and roughly 50 households reported receiving no outreach from FEMA in the aftermath of the storms.

Quest for accountability begins

Amid the troubling allegations that have emerged in recent days, lawmakers and others are wasting no time in seeking answers, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) already pledging to open a probe into potential misconduct at FEMA, as the Washington Examiner reports.

Going even further in an effort to secure accountability for agency wrongdoing, the state of Florida on Wednesday filed suit against Washington and the agency, with the complaint declaring that “senior FEMA officials” and those carrying out their orders conspired to violate Floridians' civil rights,” with Attorney General Ashley Moody and Gov. Ron DeSantis vowing to obtain justice on victims' behalf.