Inquiry finds FEMA conference fake

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- An investigation into a staged U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency news conference found aides were instructed to pose as reporters.

The internal investigation found the Oct. 23 news conference, which was announced only 15 minutes before it began, featured only questions asked by FEMA employees posing as reporters under the direction of the agency's press secretary, The Washington Post reported Friday.

The FEMA news conference concerned the agency's response to the California wildfires that were raging at the time.

Due to the last-minute announcement, no journalists were present at the event and reporters listening in via telephone weren't allowed to ask questions.

The review "found nothing that indicated malicious or preconceived intent to deceive the media or the public," said FEMA's acting director of external affairs, Russ Knocke, who performed the investigation. "As an aside, the content of the press event was accurate," Knocke said Wednesday night. "It is obvious that there was a significant lack of leadership within FEMA external affairs."