Last Updated on January 18, 2021
Deanne Criswell, Joe Biden’s pick to run FEMA, had a years-long extramarital affair that was financed by taxpayer dollars through the Office of Emergency Management of Aurora, Colorado, the Transportation Security Administration, and FEMA, according to the former husband and wife who were victim to Criswell’s extramarital engagement.
National File spoke extensively to Lisa Borbe, a United States Marine veteran who also worked for the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA, and recently retired after spending 31 years of serving her country. Borbe is the ex-wife of Mark Haught. Haught says Borbe’s characterization of his participation in the affair with Criswell is accurate and truthful.
National File also spoke to Haught, who confirmed every detail of Borbe’s story, and provided additional details about the nature and duration of the alleged illicit affair. Haught recently retired after a successful career at the TSA, followed by a second career as an executive in the private sector. At one point, Haught was responsible for 18,000 TSA employees as an Area Director for most of the East Coast.
Borbe has written a letter to the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Reform, urging them to “identify potential embarrassments for our new President,” and warning them that “If she is confirmed, she will bring embarrassment to DHS and FEMA and most importantly to the Office of our new President.”
Borbe Senate LetterBorbe and Haught, who have reconciled following their divorce and remain friends, both confirmed to National File that Haught and Criswell would discreetly leave their government jobs at 10 a.m. to meet secretly in Washington, D.C. hotels. They received taxpayer funded salaries throughout these trysts.
“What bothers me the most is that she holds a top secret clearance,” Borbe exclusively told National File when contacted on Monday afternoon. “What bothers me is that they would leave, during work hours, two executives, one from TSA and one from FEMA, they would meet in a DC hotel somewhere” to have sex, she explained.
“They used the taxpayer’s money on the taxpayer’s time, and if you look at the regulation for Top Secret clearance, it is a requirement if there is an affair involved, that’s a firing offense.”
National File has confirmed that “sexual behavior” is an area of concern that may disqualify individuals from obtaining Top Secret clearance. Specifically, adultery “can be a real problem for security clearances, because it can be difficult to prove to the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals that an employee who engaged in adultery does not pose a threat to national security.”
A senior career government official confirmed to National File that, if one tries to conceal the existence of an extramarital affair when attempting to renew their Top Secret clearance every five years, they would be committing perjury.
Additionally, the career official added that the existence of an extramarital affair is the precise type of information that foreign intelligence would seek to gain as a “bargaining chip” to exert influence.
“It’s the impropriety of a Senior Executive officer, they’re held to a higher standard, their core values,” Borbe said, explaining why she chose to write to the Senate and speak to the media. “They’re the leaders of our country, our government, and you’re sneaking off at 10 a.m. to go to a hotel.”
Borbe explained that she learned this from her ex-husband during marital counseling prior to their divorce. Haught confirmed this to be true. She also revealed that she lodged a complaint in 2012.
“I reported it to the IG, nobody cared. They really don’t care,” said Borbe. “Look at how many years have passed.”
Borbe explained that she only learned about the affair after the couple’s daughter revealed its existence. Borbe revealed that, at the time, her daughter had become suicidal due to the anxiety and stress generated by overhearing Haught discussing the illicit relationship with Criswell in a phone call, and eventually felt compelled to tell her mother.
According to Borbe and Haught, the affair between Criswell and Haught began in roughly 2008, and continued through at least half of 2012. During this time, Criswell was originally employed by the City of Aurora, Colorado. During the period of the illicit affair, Criswell successfully gained high ranking roles in the Obama administration’s FEMA. It is unclear if Criswell may have leveraged Haught’s position or contacts to attain a place in President Barack Obama’s FEMA.
Additionally, Borbe and Haught both confirm that, while Criswell was working in Colorado, Haught would create excuses to fly from D.C. to Colorado for the purpose of continuing their affair.
Interestingly, National File understands, based on communications from Borbe and Haught, that Criswell divorced her husband after these affairs became known. Her ex-husband, John Criswell, is still employed at FEMA. If Criswell is confirmed by the Senate, she would be placed in an authority position over her ex-husband, who Borbe and Haught say she betrayed with numerous affairs.
“She had an affair on taxpayer dollars, she rendezvoused on taxpayer dollars,” said Borbe. “How is she going to run an agency, how is she going to discipline her people?”
Haught confirmed that, if asked, he would travel to Washington, D.C. and testify truthfully before the Senate during Criswell’s confirmation.
National File attempted to contact Criswell by both phone and email to offer her the opportunity to comment before publishing this story and did not receive an immediate response.
Both Borbe and Haught confirmed that, according to John Criswell, there were multiple other affairs. National File is seeking more information, and can be contacted securely at [email protected].
