A top federal boss is out after a whirlwind stretch marked by political heat, public fury, and a deadly summer catastrophe that left his agency under intense scrutiny.
David Richardson, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, abruptly resigned Monday after barely six months on the job, two administration officials told NBC News.
Richardson’s exit caps a rocky stint atop FEMA, which has been under heavy fire as President Donald Trump pushes steep budget cuts and openly talks about scrapping the agency once this year’s hurricane season wraps.
The embattled administrator faced withering criticism over his sluggish response to the catastrophic July floods that ripped through Texas’ Hill Country. More than 130 people were killed on July 4, including 27 girls and counselors at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp. Richardson couldn’t be reached for a full day while the disaster unfolded.
It later emerged that Richardson — who had no emergency management background before taking the post — was on vacation for the holiday weekend.
The White House punted all questions about his resignation to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA.
Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer, stepped into the role in May after the previous acting administrator, Cameron Hamilton, was ousted after a short tenure of his own.
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