Press Release
March 5, 2025
WASHINGTON – Today, State Democracy Defenders Fund (SDDF) and co-counsel Mark S. Zaid, Esq., filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on behalf of Mary Comans, the former FEMA Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Comans was fired several weeks ago after two decades of public service.
Comans’ wrongful termination occurred after the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) committee targeted Comans and other DHS career employees for providing life-saving housing services as part of the DHS Shelter and Services Program, which provides reimbursement to non-federal entities for migrant-linked expenses.
“Professionals who have dedicated their lives to public service like Mary Comans deserve our gratitude and respect – they do not deserve to be indiscriminately and illegally fired because Donald Trump and Elon Musk think it helps them politically,” said Tianna Mays, Legal Director for SDDF. “Millions of Americans rely on FEMA to survive and rebuild their lives after disaster strikes. Targeting the very officials whose job is to help people through their lowest moments is not only cruel, it violates federal law.”
“I am proud of my more than twenty years of service to this nation and, in particular, my last nine years as FEMA’s chief financial officer, helping people before, during, and after disasters,” said Mary Comans. “My tenure at FEMA has spanned four administrations, both Republican and Democratic, and I have faithfully served my oath to the Constitution. My termination is not based on merit but rather is politically motivated.”
“With these two new legal actions, the Executive Branch’s authority to simply fire distinguished civil servants, especially those at the senior level who are non-partisan and have worked for multiple administrations without any due process protections, is being directly challenged,” said Mark S. Zaid, Esq. “Not only are we striving to ensure the applicability of well-established rule of law provisions and constitutional protections, but we are going to hold the Trump administration accountable for unfairly, maliciously, and publicly maligning officials, such as Mary Comans, for no reason other than their political agenda.”
You can find the filing HERE.
State Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state, and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.