U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said Thursday she was told by members of the Trump administration that a federal disaster declaration for Ohio and Marion counties could come “early next week.” She also said she was told that the holdup in that declaration has come in part because of when the application was submitted.

Capito told reporters Thursday during her weekly call with the media that she has been talking to “anybody and everybody I can to move this along,” and she was told Wednesday when to expect a formal declaration.

“To be perfectly straight up honest with you, the White House told me early next week,” Capito said.

Even then, Capito questioned administration officials as to why it couldn’t happen sooner.

“I pretty much lost it … to be honest with you. I said, ‘What’s wrong with the end of this week?'” she said. “I think it’s a process thing we’re caught in right now. And so we’ve got to hope for the first part of next week.”

Capito said she was told that the process issue occurred at least in part because the application did not reach the administration until July 3 for a flood that happened June 14.

“The full application, to my understanding, did not come – I don’t know if it came from FEMA or from (Gov. Patrick Morrisey) – until like July 3,” Capito said. “That was the date that the White House told me, so it’s been a lot less lengthy than what I think some folks were led to believe. I was kind of surprised at that date myself when I heard that because I thought the application was in on June 20.”

Morrisey announced via news release on June 20 that he had formally requested major disaster and emergency declarations for Ohio and Marion counties, which would activate FEMA’s Individual Assistance, Hazard Mitigation Grant and Public Assistance programs.

A request for comment has been made to Morrisey’s office concerning the submission of the application.

Return to theintelligencer.net later for more on this developing story.