Growing evidence of awareness inside the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of alleged insuror fraud aimed at short-changing Superstorm Sandy-ravaged homeowners prompts shore Congressman Tom MacArthur (R-3) to seek FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate's resignation.

Tom MacArthur/Photo by Tom Mongelli, Townsquare Media
Tom MacArthur/Photo by Tom Mongelli, Townsquare Media
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Disturbing details surfaced in a report during CBS's "60 Minutes," when Deputy Associate Administrator Brad Kieserman attested to witnessing fraud  including the use of unlicensed engineers.

In a prepared statement, MacArthur said that the revelations underscore the need for accountability in FEMA. "For too long, this Agency has mishandled their fundamental role to help disaster survivors. Administrator Fugate has failed as a leader and must step down before any further harm is done," MacArthur said.

The freshman Republican also called for a probe by House committees relevant to storm recovery, in addition to investigations already undertaken by the New Jersey Attorney General's office and the FEMA Inspector General's office.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) demanded a comparable investigation in the upper house.

"I am outraged and saddened to hear reports that FEMA may have turned a blind eye to corrupt and fraudulent practices used to deny full assistance to families and individuals recovering from Superstorm Sandy,” MacArthur said in a prepared statement. “It is simply shocking that the Agency could have known about these private insurers’ wrongdoings as early as August of 2013, yet did nothing about it.”

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