The delay in confirming President Donald Trump's nominee to lead FEMA comes as the agency is in the midst of confronting a devastating hurricane season. | Michael Reynolds - Pool/Getty Images White House Trump's nominee to lead FEMA could be derailed over personal issue

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency is stalled in the Senate and may not be confirmed over personal matters, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Trump announced that he would nominate Jeffrey Byard in February, after Brock Long, the agency’s head, resigned amid questions about his personal use of government cars to commute from North Carolina to Washington.


The indefinite delay in Byard’s nomination comes as the agency he is nominated to lead is in the midst of confronting a devastating hurricane season.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee which oversees FEMA, confirmed Thursday that there are problems with Byard’s nomination.

“There were some issues raised that are being investigated and that’s all I’ll say about it,” Johnson said.

Republicans did not learn about the issues with Byard's nomination until after he was approved by the committee in June.

Another senator on the committee confirmed that the Senate is investigating Byard and that he may not be confirmed. However, most members of the Senate are unaware of the issue, which sources familiar with the nomination say involves an altercation.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. But an administration official with knowledge of the matter said, “I think it’s fair to say that the White House would have leaned on the Senate to get him through confirmation given that we’re in the middle of hurricane season.”

“And the White House silence on this is very telling,” the official added.

