FEMA Director of External Affairs John P. “Pat” Philbin is really, really sorry that he participated in last week’s fake FEMA press conference. “It was absolutely a bad decision. I regret it happened. Certainly . . . I should have stopped it,” Philbin tells the Washington Post. “I hope readers understand we’re working very hard to establish credibility and integrity, and I would hope this does not undermine it.”
Working hard?
Well, not that hard.
As the Post reports, Thursday was Philbin’s last day at FEMA.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said over the weekend that the fake press conference was “one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I’ve seen since I’ve been in government,” and that the people involved in it would face “appropriate discipline.”
So, was Philbin fired?
Well, not exactly.
He has been appointed to serve as the new public affairs chief for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, a place where fake news isn’t anything new.
They’ve taken his FEMA bio down already. To answer your question i guess it would be one of these
Nothing like accountability in politics.
Literally.
“We do not normally comment on personnel matters,” DNI spokesman Ross Feinstein said Monday. “However, we can confirm that Mr. Philbin is not, nor is he scheduled to be, the director of public affairs for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.”
Feinstein said earlier that Philbin’s job change had been put on hold while McConnell reviewed his record.
As usual, he’s only sorry he got caught.