On Sunday, his bitter feud with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen seemed as though it would abate. The two agreed to a truce so that the Trump administration’s response to Hurricane Florence would not be further overshadowed by the deepening acrimony between them since the disclosure of an internal investigation into Long’s use of government vehicles to travel between Washington and his home in North Carolina.

Nothing would happen to Long in the near term, Nielsen assured him, according to three senior government officials familiar with the conversation. Let’s just get through the storm, she said.

About 24 hours later, as Long’s plane landed in North Carolina, he learned that the DHS Office of Inspector General had referred his case to federal prosecutors for a possible criminal investigation. He felt devastated and betrayed, according to the three government officials, who had knowledge of Long’s reaction…

Long called his relationship with Nielsen “professional and functional.” But behind the scenes, he and other FEMA officials have told colleagues they think she has her mind set on ousting him.