92% Staff Turnover: What’s Happening in Kamala Harris’s Office?

In recent days, many images of Kamala Harris looking cheerful have emerged as her party positions her as a viable presidential candidate. However, reports from individuals who have worked with her suggest a different reality.

Despite accusations of workplace bullying throughout her career, a particularly telling fact is that only four out of the 71 staffers she hired during her first year in office are still with her, resulting in a staggering 92 percent staff turnover rate. This figure would typically prompt any organization to reevaluate its leadership.

Accusations of Harris running a toxic workplace have dogged her since her tenure as California Attorney General in the 2010s. For instance, Barbara O’Connor, a professor at California State University, noted that her students who interned for Harris often came to her in tears.

The situation did not improve when Harris became a senator. An analysis revealed that her office had the ninth-highest staff turnover rate among the 114 senators who served from 2017 to 2020. During this period, sources in Congress reported that she frequently berated her subordinates and launched into expletive-filled tirades.

One notable incident occurred during Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings in 2018. After staging a walkout, Harris reportedly erupted at staffers outside the Judiciary Committee room, cursing and giving orders to people who didn’t work for her. Witnesses recall her shouting, “Anyone who’s staff, get the f--- out of here.”

Further evidence of her poor treatment of employees came to light in 2019 when her former State Operations Director, Kelly Mehlenbacher, shared her resignation letter with the New York Times. Mehlenbacher wrote that she had “never seen an organization treat its staff so poorly” and remarked that “morale has never been lower.”

Low morale appears to be a recurring theme. A June 2021 Politico report revealed that dozens of people familiar with Harris’s vice-presidential office described “low morale, porous lines of communication, and diminished trust among aides and senior officials.” One source said that staff felt unsupported and “treated like s—t,” while another called it an “abusive environment.”

A former aide described Harris as someone who failed to prepare for public appearances and then blamed her staff when things went wrong.

"Soul-destroying criticism"
One source told the Washington Post: “It's clear [with Harris] that you're not working with somebody who is willing to do the prep and the work. With Kamala you have to put up with a constant amount of soul-destroying criticism and also her own lack of confidence. So you're constantly sort of propping up a bully and it's not really clear why.”

Reports about her workplace bullying often highlight that the individuals in these roles are used to high-pressure environments, challenging bosses, and demanding hours. Thus, this issue isn't merely about people being overwhelmed by working for someone of her profile. Some Democrat insiders worry that Harris’s toxic work environment may leave her without enough senior aides to support a successful presidential run.