President Donald Trump nominated Jeffrey Byard to lead FEMA in February, after Brock Long, the agency’s head, resigned. | Michael Reynolds - Pool/Getty Images White House White House withdraws nominee to head FEMA

The White House will withdraw its nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a White House official and a source familiar with the matter.

They confirmed the Trump administration will pull the nomination of Jeffrey Byard to head FEMA. The official said Byard withdrew his nomination after an accusation surfaced that he had been in an altercation. The official also said the FBI had determined the accusation was unsubstantiated.


The official said the White House will nominate Peter Gaynor, the acting administrator of FEMA, to lead the agency.

POLITICO reported last week that Byard’s nomination could be in trouble because of the accusation and that he was delayed indefinitely in the Senate. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who oversees the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, acknowledged that the nominee had some problems.

“There were some issues raised that are being investigated,” Johnson said last week.

Trump nominated Byard to lead FEMA in February, after Brock Long, the agency’s head, resigned after he used official cars for personal travel between North Carolina and Washington.

Byard’s personal issues were raised only after the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved his nomination in June.