In 2022, Hurricane Ian left a trail of destruction throughout Southwest Florida. In Collier County, the historic Naples Pier remains one of the casualties.
After years of trying to secure FEMA funding for restoration efforts, Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann took a new approach: asking a political donor to establish a connection to cut through political red tape.
In an article published by ProPublica, Heitmann asked Dr. Sinan Gursoy, a political donor of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, for assistance. Dr. Gursoy reached out directly to Noem and in a matter of days, she visited the Naples Pier and met with city officials.
Following that visit, Noem reportedly expedited millions of dollars for the pier’s reconstruction.
According to ProPublica political reported Joshua Kapan, this use of political donors has become a norm in modern politics.
“You see this all the time with the Trump administration. But you also saw it under Biden, under Obama, Bush.” Kaplan continued, “specifically with FEMA and with disaster relief, what happened here is quite unusual and is not something that has been documented like this.”
In a statement provided to WGCU, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated the allocation of funds “has nothing to do with politics.”
In response to the original ProPublica article McLaughlin said, “Criticizing the Secretary’s visit to the Pier is bizarre as she works to fix this issue for more than 1 million visitors that used to visit the pier in the Naples community.”
WGCU also reached out to the Heitmann's office. Following is the full statement regarding the city’s efforts to obtain federal funding to repair the Naples Pier:
"Both the City Council and administration have actively engaged our County, State, and Federal partners, elected officials as well as agencies, who are essential to the completion of the Naples Pier Reconstruction Project. In that spirit, reaching out to Secretary Noem was consistent with our ongoing efforts to share the importance of this project, as we have also done with Governor DeSantis, Senator Rick Scott, Representative Byron Donalds, and former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
"Secretary Noem’s visit, along with the visit from Colonel Bowman of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), provided important awareness at the federal level of the devastation and lengthy recovery challenges communities continue to face. It is unfortunate that these visits have been portrayed otherwise, when in fact they represent meaningful engagement and support for our recovery.
"During her visit to Naples, Secretary Noem and Mayor Heitmann discussed efficiencies and the challenges that accompany them. The Mayor is appreciative of Secretary Noem’s attention not only to Naples, but also to the many other communities across the country working to rebuild after natural disasters. Her visit reflected continued federal support, including engagement with the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.
"It is important to note that FEMA had already determined the level of funding it will provide for the Pier reconstruction. At the time of Secretary Noem’s visit, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were, to our understanding, in the final stages of the permitting process. That remains the case today. FEMA has not yet obligated funds, meaning the funds have not been set aside. This step will not occur until FEMA completes, and Secretary Noem signs off on obligating the funds, as required on projects exceeding $100,000. We remain optimistic that we are in the final stages of review with USACE and USFWS and anticipate receiving the final permits soon."
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