By: E&P Staff The staged news conference during the California wildfires crisis last month claimed the job of a second Federal Emergency Management Agency press official today.
A review of the incident revealed "a calamity of bad decision-making," a FEMA official told CNN.
Aaron Walker, press secretary for FEMA, submitted his resignation to the administration's chief David Paulison Wednesday afternoon, according to a FEMA official quoted by CNN. "The official would not say whether Walker was asked to resign or did so voluntarily," CNN reported. "His resignation becomes effective in early December."
The official said Walker and John "Pat" Philbin, who was FEMA's director of external affairs, bore the "greatest degree of responsibility for the planning and execution" of the news conference on Oct. 23. "They had the greatest ability to stop that train from going down the track, and they didn't," said the official.
Philbin left his job two days after the news conference to become head of public affairs for the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell. That job offer was rescinded after Philbin's role in the press conference became clear.
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