Multiple employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have been dismissed after an internal investigation revealed they used government-issued devices to access pornographic material during work hours at the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, according to a statement from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.
The DHS investigation also found that nearly half of FEMA’s workforce regularly logged into social media platforms while on duty. These findings prompted action from agency leadership.
“Today, I am announcing that multiple disgraced FEMA employees were fired for using their government devices to consume sexually explicit content while on the job. These individuals had access to critical information and intelligence and were entrusted to safeguard Americans from emergencies—and instead they were consuming pornography. In at least one case the pornography consumed was racially charged and involved bestiality,” said Secretary Noem. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are cleaning house at FEMA to make this dysfunctional agency work for the American people the way that it was intended. For decades some of these bureaucrats engaged in every act imaginable instead of safeguarding the American people from natural disasters. That ends now.”
The department detailed specific incidents uncovered by its Insider Threat Operations Center (ITOC). On July 12, 2025, ITOC identified one employee who entered explicit phrases into a chatbot website from his government device, requesting the comments be read back in an accent.
Another incident occurred on August 1, 2025, when a contracted employee at the command center was found by ITOC to have accessed Reddit.com 578 times over a month-long period. The individual engaged extensively with online users and viewed explicit sexual content using work equipment. The employee also participated in online chats featuring explicit material.
DHS stated it continues to monitor and investigate improper use of federal devices throughout its agencies to prevent abuse or unauthorized sharing of classified or sensitive information.
