The Trump administration has fired at least four employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for using their government devices to watch porn and arrange sexual encounters in foreign countries.
The firings mark the latest effort by the Trump administration to eliminate government bloat and abuse of taxpayer resources. FEMA falls under the supervision of the Department of Homeland Security.
"This behavior and misuse of government resources is absolutely disgusting.” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
"The revolting actions of these employees, now the second group to be caught at FEMA engaged in such acts, represents a clear national security risk. These employees, who had access to highly sensitive systems, spent their duty hours sexting strangers, including foreign nationals, on encrypted government devices. Such conduct is unacceptable, and these employees have been terminated.”
An investigation from the Department of Homeland Security’s Insider Threat Operations Center initially uncovered two employees consuming porn on the job, some of which was "racially charged" and involved "bestiality," the New York Post reported.
The employees were based at a remote FEMA command center in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center near Bluemont, Virginia.
One of the individuals used a chatbot to have graphic messages read aloud in a foreign accent.
“These individuals had access to critical information and intelligence and were entrusted to safeguard Americans from emergencies—and instead they were consuming pornography,” Noem said in a statement.
“And in at least one case the pornography consumed was racially charged and involved bestiality,” Noem said.
An investigation later uncovered a third employee at the same facility who used the government's network to send lewd messages over Facebook messenger to a person in the Philippines.
The chats contained "graphic sexual content, references to a Filipino dating group, and statements about plans to visit the individual overseas later this year," a DHS press release said.
The individual, who was an IT worker with a top security clearance, even searched hotels and discussed plans to travel in November or December, the Daily Caller reported.
"I wish you were here sitting in my lap while I work," the person wrote on August 28. "I want to hug your waist while I work and smell your hair, kiss your neck."
Another FEMA employee uploaded a picture of male genitals to an adult website, where the person had "multiple graphic conversations" all on the taxpayers' dime.
