Was the Deputy Administrator of FEMA, Erik Hooks Arrested?

The Maui fires are the worst wrath of Mother Nature. Hawaii was in flames in just a matter of days, affecting thousands of people. The death toll rose quickly while rescue operations were deployed to evacuate an entire island.

Meanwhile, the acting Governor of Hawaii, Sylvia Luke, has signed an emergency proclamation, deploying the National Guard to streamline the rescue and relief protocol. While the fires had obliterated everything in its path, people from Lahaina, Kaanapali, Wailea, and more such islands were promised food, water, civilian relief measures, shelter, and more.

Amidst this chaos, recent reports of mismanagement and denying proper access to these basic necessities have surfaced. And there is only one name on the chopping block.

Erik Hooks, the Deputy Administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is facing serious allegations of charges of treason. The 34-page indictment alleges that he and his boss, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, ordered the FEMA agents to restrict the supply of food, water, and other civilian relief efforts.

This news was first published by a fairly unknown outlet, Real Raw News. According to the report, Erik Hooks was arrested on Saturday, August 19, by the United States Marines. However, due to the unreliable and satirical nature of the news source from “Real Raw News,” it is confirmed that Erik Hooks was not actually arrested.

Who Is Erik Hooks?

Erik Hooks was born in 1967 and lived in Spring Lake, North Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and Government. Further, he completed his Master of Liberal Arts from North Carolina State University.

In 1989, Hooks joined the North Carolina Department of Public Safety with his stellar law enforcement and public safety background. He was later promoted as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety from January 2017 to August 2021.

President Joe Biden nominated Erik Hooks for the designation, and he eventually became the Senate in 2021.

He led several programs for precautionary measures during human-induced and natural calamities. Hooks was adept at creating a reliable system for security and resilience against unforeseeable challenges. Hence, he was appointed as the deputy administrator for FEMA.

What Did Erik Hooks Do?

The indictment, as posted by the outlet, suggests three main allegations against Erik Hooks–

1. Hooks and his boss ordered the FEMA agents to deny essential supplies like food and water to survivors and those injured in the fire. Allegedly, they also obstructed the civilian relief efforts.
2. In more shocking allegations, Hooks and Crisswell also asked the agents to restrain the displaced individuals from leaving Lahaina, which was gravely affected by the blazing flames.
3. The memo also states that FEMA supervisors in Maui were asked to discretely dispose of the deceased bodies through incineration or secretive burials. Reportedly, the Marien on rescue mission claimed that they discovered several bodies with gunshot wounds. This implied that Hooks might have been involved in instructing these executions since the wounds matched the bullet casings used by FEMA and the FBI.

Disclaimer: These allegations are per the memo published in one news article.

Was the Deputy Administrator of FEMA, Erik Hooks Arrested?

The Real Raw News reported on August 21 that Erik Hooks was arrested for the aforementioned charges. Given the severity of these allegations, not a single major news outlet reported any such arrest.

Also, no statements were issued by either of the parties involved nor did the White House comment on this situation.

Upon further inspection, the Real Raw News was found to be a satirical political parody news outlet like the “Babylon Bee” and the “Dunning-Kruger Times.”

The Real Raw News website states that–

“Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice on legal counsel.”

Hence, Erik Hooks’s is a hoax. But we shall update upon any further developments to the case.

What is your take on these allegations? Is it a case of smoke without fire? Let us know your deductions in the comments section below.