Federal Court Rules Elon Musk and Kristi Noem Spread False Claims to Smear FEMA Official

Elon Musk and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have been exposed in a blistering federal court ruling accusing top government officials of orchestrating a smear campaign against a longtime FEMA employee, OK! can reveal.

According to court documents obtained by OK!, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick determined that Musk, Noem, and other senior officials knowingly spread false accusations against former Federal Emergency Management Agency Chief Financial Officer Mary Comans after she was abruptly fired in February 2025.

The judge described the government's conduct as "outrageous" and concluded that officials had launched a coordinated campaign to destroy the reputation of a career public servant.

The controversy erupted after Comans was accused of improperly directing millions of dollars toward luxury New York City hotels housing migrants.

On February 11, 2025, Musk reposted Comans' photograph on X alongside allegations that she had funneled $58 million toward migrant accommodations, calling her supposed conduct a "criminal action."

But Fitzpatrick determined those allegations were entirely false, finding Musk knew the information was inaccurate when he circulated it.

The judge said publishing Comans' photograph to millions of followers was "clearly intended to make her afraid."

He described the move as "little more than state-sanctioned intimidation."

The ruling also implicated Noem and DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski in spreading allegations against Comans.

According to the court, both officials supplied conservative commentator Laura Loomer with accusations that Comans had illegally directed more than $59 million toward migrant hotels. Loomer subsequently shared the claims with her online audience.

Fitzpatrick found Noem and Lewandowski knew the information was false when they provided it, expecting the allegations to reach Loomer's followers.

The judge concluded the coordinated attacks reached hundreds of millions of people.

In another damaging revelation, the court determined that employees working for Musk's Department of Government Efficiency had approved the disputed FEMA payments before other DOGE officials challenged them.

Comans, who had served more than 21 years in federal government, lacked the authority to independently direct funding toward specific grant recipients.

Nevertheless, she was fired without explanation beyond the administration's assertion that President Donald Trump possessed the constitutional authority to remove her. The judge said officials subsequently used Comans as a scapegoat after disagreements emerged over the payments.

The October 13 order followed an earlier ruling that Comans had been fired without due process. Fitzpatrick emphasized that the government did not challenge the facts presented during the name-clearing proceedings.

He described the attacks as a "premeditated campaign" designed to damage her personal and professional integrity.

The judge ultimately declared the accusations "objectively and demonstrably false" and formally cleared Comans' name. The ruling does not itself award damages or resolve every remaining issue in her employment dispute.