FEMA Press Secretary Directed Fake News Briefing, Inquiry Finds

In an interview, Walker said he did not apologize for his actions and said he had planned since September to leave FEMA to seek private-sector work in Utah.

"Across the board, there was no effort to misinform, to put on a charade. It was simply a poor choice across the board of a method to get some information out," Walker said. "This is the best job I've ever had. I loved it."

The review concluded that Johnson, a retired Coast Guard vice admiral and FEMA's deputy administrator, was "poorly served" by aides who rushed him into the news conference without explaining the circumstances.

Two career employees signed statements saying that Walker told them either that he told or planned to tell Johnson before the event that questions would be choreographed.

But Johnson told the investigation that "he does not recall being advised that staff would be asking questions." Of four aides with Johnson before the briefing, three, including Walker, also said they also did not recall whether he was told. One said he clearly was not told, the FEMA official said.

"There is not a lot of consistency in terms of recollection of what was said, but it's clear from everyone that there was not an adequate briefing," the FEMA official said. "There was poor staff service of agency leadership."

Paulison said he had "tremendous confidence" in Johnson. He praised his deputy's honesty and ethics and the "ungodly amount of hours" Johnson has spent rebuilding the agency. "It wasn't intentional, but he was set up," Paulison said, "and he walked in there, and he didn't know everyone in the room."

In an earlier statement, Johnson said FEMA's intent was to provide information as soon as possible, and he apologized "for this error in judgment."

FEMA has announced it will give at least one hour's notice of future news conferences, allow only reporters to ask questions and no longer bar reporters listening on teleconference lines from asking questions.