Judge finds Musk, Noem ran false campaign against ex-FEMA official

A federal magistrate judge ruled that Elon Musk and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem coordinated a campaign spreading false information about Mary Comans, a former FEMA official.

U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick found on Tuesday that billionaire Elon Musk, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and other senior Trump administration officials engaged in a coordinated campaign to spread false information about Mary Comans, a career civil servant who served as FEMA's chief financial officer until her firing in February 2025.

The judge determined that officials knowingly made false accusations against Comans, including claims she engaged in criminal activity, misspent federal funds, and circumvented agency leaders to make payments to New York City hotels for undocumented migrants. Court records showed that senior DHS and FEMA officials, along with employees of DOGE—the cost-cutting task force overseen by Musk—had approved the payments Comans was accused of orchestrating.

Musk posted Comans' photograph on X and falsely accused her of criminal conduct. The judge found this post served no legitimate governmental interest and constituted state-sanctioned intimidation. Fitzpatrick also found that Noem and Corey Lewandowski provided false information to far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer with the expectation she would spread it on social media.