False claim FEMA Deputy Administrator arrested in relation to Maui wildfires | Fact check

Isabella Fertel, USA TODAY
·2 min read
5

The claim: Military arrested FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks in relation to Maui wildfires

An Aug. 23 Facebook video (direct link, archived link) shows a screenshot of an article that claims a top official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency was arrested in relation to the recent wildfires in Maui.

“Military arrests FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks,” reads the headline in the video.

The post was shared more than 20,000 times in one day.

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Our rating: False

FEMA officials confirmed Hooks has not been arrested and is still working at the agency. The article featured in the post was published by Real Raw News, which routinely publishes false claims about the arrests of high-profile figures.

Claim originated on site that frequently shares misinformation

Erik Hooks has served as the deputy administrator of FEMA since 2021, according to FEMA's website.

Jeremy Edwards, spokesperson for FEMA, told USA TODAY there was “no truth” to the claim Hooks was arrested in relation to the Maui wildfires.

“Deputy administrator Hooks is literally at FEMA Headquarters as we speak,” Edwards told USA TODAY in an email.

Hooks has been actively coordinating emergency response efforts with the agency “all week, working with FEMA personnel and our interagency partners as we help the people of Maui recover, as well as respond to other events happening nationwide,” Edwards said.

Fact check: No evidence Maui wildfires intentionally set in 'land grab,' contrary to posts

There is no evidence that the U.S. military arrested Hooks or presented him with an indictment as the post claims. No reputable news organizations reported the supposed arrest, and the incident was not mentioned anywhere on the websites or social media accounts for FEMA or the Department of Defense.

USA TODAY has previously debunked numerous other claims about the arrests of high-profile figures stemming from Real Raw News.

USA TODAY reached out to Real Raw News and the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

PolitiFact and Associated Press also debunked this claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim military arrested FEMA administrator | Fact check