The Hill reported that last month, the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security launched an audit of Federal Emergency Management Agency over allegations that the agency had bypassed homes that were ravaged by Hurricanes and contained yard signs that supported then-Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump.

According to the report, Joseph Cuffari confirmed that he had initiated an audit in a December 17 letter sent to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.).

The audit was prompted by a former FEMA employee who told disaster relief workers to “avoid” homes with signs promoting Trump. Marn’i Washington later said that her “best practices directive” was not isolated and was in fact widespread, happening in Carolinas and the Carolinas after Hurricane Helene. She said that she was made the scapegoat for a policy that she did not create, but was simply following.

Former FEMA officials backed up Washington’s claims. They told the New York Post the FEMA pattern of avoiding Trump-supporting homes has been a secret for years.

The Hill reported that according to Cuffari’s letter, “the audit’s objective is to determine whether FEMA adhered to its policies and procedures in addressing safety concerns as well as determining community trends affecting disaster survivors assistance following Hurricanes Helene & Milton.”

Graves, Perry and a number of other Republicans demanded an inquiry.

“In North Carolina, the Committee is aware of reports of FEMA employees skipping any home that displayed a ‘Make America Great Again,’ ‘Drain the Swamp,’ ‘Don’t Tread on Me,’ or Trump campaign sign,” Graves and Perry wrote in a 3-page letter to Cuffari on Dec. 3. “If the FEMA field team encountered three or more of these signs, the field team could abandon the entire neighborhood without notifying hurricane victims of assistance available to them.”

In November, the House Oversight Committee interrogated FEMA Administrator Deanne Critswell about this practice. She said it was “completely in conflict with FEMA’s missions.” Criswell promised to ask for an investigation by the inspector general into these claims.