Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Rick Larsen, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin regarding Kara Voorhies, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contractor who, without having any prior emergency management experience, appears to have been paid an exorbitant salary, $19,000 a week, while unlawfully undermining FEMA’s ability to help Americans in their hour of need.
In the letter to Secretary Mullin, the Ranking Members wrote, “Federal law prohibits government contractors from performing work that is characterized as ‘inherently governmental functions.’” “It appears that like Mr. Lewandowski, Ms. Voorhies was corruptly profiting from a position that gave her an outsized and undue influence over decision-making at FEMA.”
Previously, the Ranking Members wrote DHS regarding Corey Lewandowski’s outsized and undue influence over the Department as a special government employee. Additional information has since come to light describing how Corey Lewandowski exercised influence over decisions at FEMA through Kara Voorhies. While at FEMA, her involvement in spending decisions, and bypassing normal processes to push for the award of contracts to specific businesses, alarmed agency personnel.
Kara Voorhies was also responsible for implementing Secretary Noem’s much derided policy of reviewing all FEMA contracts and grants over $100,000. This gave her the power to not only influence the award of contracts and grants, but also to punish entities. For example, she blocked Muslim groups from receiving security grants and worked with Corey Lewandowski to deny grants to California.
In the letter, the Ranking Members updated their previous, and unanswered, demand for all communications and internal records regarding Corey Lewandowski’s involvement in DHS personnel and contracting decisions to now include Kara Voorhies as well.
###