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April 23, 2026

Ranking Members Bennie Thompson, Robert Garcia, Rick Larsen Write DHS on Highly Paid FEMA Contractor with Ties to Corey Lewandowski

“Decisions on how to award grants should never be based on politics or bigotry”

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight & Reform, and Rep. Rick Larsen, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary

Markwayne Mullin regarding Kara Voorhies, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contractor who, without having any prior emergency management experience, appears to have been paid an exorbitant salary – $19,000 a week – while unlawfully undermining FEMA’s ability to help Americans in their hour of need.

Previously, the Ranking Members wrote DHS regarding Corey Lewandowski’s outsized and undue influence over the Department as a special government employee. Additional information has since come to light describing how Corey Lewandowski exercised influence over decisions at FEMA through Kara Voorhies. While at FEMA, her involvement in spending decisions – and bypassing normal processes to push for the award of contracts to specific businesses – alarmed agency personnel.

Kara Voorhies was also responsible for implementing Secretary Noem’s much derided policy of reviewing all FEMA contracts and grants over $100,000. This gave her the power to not only influence the award of contracts and grants, but also to punish entities. For example, she blocked Muslim groups from receiving security grants and worked with Corey Lewandowski to deny grants to California.

“Federal law prohibits government contractors from performing work that is characterized as ‘inherently governmental functions,’” the Ranking Member wrote. “It appears that like Mr. Lewandowski, Ms. Voorhies was corruptly profiting from a position that gave her an outsized and undue influence over decision-making at FEMA.”

In the letter, the Ranking Members updated their previous – and unanswered – demand for all communications and internal records regarding Corey Lewandowski’s involvement in DHS personnel and contracting decisions to now include Kara Voorhies as well.

Click here to read the full letter.

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