FEMA Faces Firestorm for Phony Presser

It's certainly one way to avoid the tough questions.


The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is getting serious flak after it let staffers pose as journalists and lob softball questions at one of its top officials at a hastily organized "press briefing" on the California wildfires.

Deputy administrator Harvey Johnson took "questions" from four people identified by the Washington Post as three directors and a press aide, who then didn't allow any questions from the actual journos in the room.

The White House strongly criticized FEMA, and the agency apologized for its "error in judgment." FEMA, of course, was once run by Michael Brown, whose qualification for the job was his experience in running the International Arabian Horse Association. He later resigned.

Tags: FEMA

Reader Comments

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1. FIRST :) http://www.spymac.com/details?2272274

Posted at 9:09AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Sofia

2. Since when does TMZ cover really news? Weird, just weird...

Posted at 9:13AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Stacey

3. If I want real news I go to Drudge Report or Fox News not TMZ. Get back to the stuff you do best. HINT: it is not reporting REAL news!

Posted at 9:17AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Stacey Joy

4. Gee this is the oddest thing I have ever seen on here. REAL NEWS!!!! Totally strange!

Posted at 9:18AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Lori

5. Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in the United States.

Posted at 9:36AM on Oct 27th 2007 by geez

6. This is just more proof how out of controll the goverment really is.
and the fact that you cannot believe anything the so called news agencies say

Posted at 9:34AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Janice

7. Hey Stacey Joy, the real news is that FEMA was making up FAKE news. And your precious Fox News chose to run the FAUX news.

Posted at 9:36AM on Oct 27th 2007 by GeeGee

8. A month after Katrina in Louisiana, we had a Halloween party. Two people came as FEMA workers. They set up a table, left an identifying sign on it, and never showed up at it again.

And people are surprised?

This ranks up there with the insurance guy saying people in Louisiana didn't have flood insurance without mentioning that they did everything they could do to blame it on flood damage when it was, in fact, wind damage. The nerve of that guy looking people in the eye and blaming it on the victims is overwhelming. I don't know how he sleeps at night

Posted at 9:35AM on Oct 27th 2007 by nucular scientist

9.
TMZzzzzzzzzzzz on this one - Brown & FEMA do a fabulous job - racist to say otherwise!

PS - Brown now makes $5M per year as a consultant extraordinaire.

Posted at 9:36AM on Oct 27th 2007 by 9

10. fema is so shady

Posted at 9:42AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Logo Designers

11. StaceyJoy - Honey you are seriously delusional if you get your "REAL" new from FOX! So you probably don't buy this story either because it speaks the TRUTH about this CORRUPT ADMINISTRATION. Open your eyes NEO. It just one thing after another after another after another after another after another after another after another - x3000 - that this administration to screw and LIE to America.

Iran is NOT a threat either more lies for them equals more money and "power: for them.

Which pill do you want Neo? America needs to wake up before it's too late. Quit being numb to what has really gone on for the last 8 years.

Posted at 9:42AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Coookie

12. O` Media.

Can you imagine what kind of a Country America would be if thie Man were the President?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkfg0PixtnU

... damn.. too bad he's not going to win.

Posted at 5:02PM on Oct 30th 2007 by geez

13. You mean to tell me you guys can't find a way to blame this on black people too? Wow usually when I read the comment section on ANY article, its the Black people's fault. I'm sure you guys will find something ignorant to say before its over.

Posted at 9:45AM on Oct 27th 2007 by LaWanda

14. All of these people that did this press briefing or were involved in this scam should be fired immediately. This administration has to stop all the lying and feeding the public propaganda. The best thing is that they get caught doing these things and it just make them look like idiots. 15 months is too long!

Posted at 9:50AM on Oct 27th 2007 by WTF is going on

15. here they go strike 2. FEMA is almost a joke already!

http://www.spymac.com/details/?2290046

Posted at 9:52AM on Oct 27th 2007 by betty

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