CNN publishes internal FEMA audit showing Noem froze $15 billion in disaster relief across 40 states

CNN published an investigation on May 31, 2026 based on an internal FEMA audit showing that Secretary Kristi Noem had frozen approximately $15 billion in congressionally appropriated disaster relief funds across 40 states, while FEMA's workforce had shrunk by 20 percent through firings and resignations. The audit documented that Noem's personal approval requirement for all expenditures over $100,000—implemented in mid-2025—had created a backlog of thousands of pending disbursements to states and localities for Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, and other declared disasters.