Judge rebukes DHS for 'outrageous' false statements targeting former FEMA official

A federal magistrate judge has rebuked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Elon Musk regarding the firing of Mary Comans, the former chief financial officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Hill reports that DHS fired Comans following accusations that she wrongly dispersed an $80 million grant related to migrant housing in New York City.

According to Business Insider, Judge William Fitzpatrick issued an eight-page ruling addressing the reputational damage to Comans, a longtime federal employee. The judge criticized Musk for a February 11, 2025, post in which he reposted a photo of Comans and falsely characterized her government service as criminal conduct. Fitzpatrick stated that Musk, acting as the de facto leader of the White House DOGE Office at the time, clearly intended to make the official feel afraid.

The judge described the post as serving no legitimate governmental interest and labeled it "little more than state sanctioned intimidation."

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, Business Insider — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.