Former staffers of Vice President Kamala Harris have come forward with allegations of severe mistreatment during her tenure as California’s Attorney General. According to these staffers, Harris created a hostile work environment characterized by frequent verbal abuse and stringent protocols that left employees living “in complete fear.”
A former staffer described daily rituals where employees were forced to stand and say, “Good morning, general,” as Harris entered the office. They were also instructed to avoid eye contact with her, a privilege reserved for senior staff members.
These allegations were highlighted in a 2019 op-ed for The Union by Democrat professor Terry McAteer, who recounted his son Gregory’s experience working as an intern for Harris.
McAteer detailed how staff members refrained from introducing Gregory to Harris, fearing her wrath. He emphasized that the piece aimed to reveal “a side of Kamala Harris which the general public does not know.”
“Gregory was also given instruction to never address Harris nor look her in the eye,” McAteer wrote. “Staff members lived in complete fear during her tenure as attorney general from 2011 to 2017.”
Gregory McAteer’s internship spanned from June to August 2011. These revelations add to the numerous accusations of Harris being a “bully,” a label she has faced repeatedly throughout her political career.
A recent report from OpenTheBooks.com cited a staggering 95.1 percent staff turnover rate in Harris’s office during her time as Vice President. Shortly after Harris assumed the role in 2021, a staffer resigned, citing mistreatment. “With Kamala, you have to put up with a constant amount of soul-destroying criticism and also her own lack of confidence,” the former staffer told the Washington Post. “You’re constantly sort of propping up a bully, and it’s not really clear why.”
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) corroborated these claims in an interview with Fox News, stating, “Nobody lasts very long while working for Kamala Harris. Even as VP, when she didn’t do anything, she could not keep staff. How she treats people around her is a real indication of what she’ll do in the future.”
These allegations paint a troubling picture of Harris’s leadership style and raise questions about her treatment of employees. The upcoming debate with former President Donald Trump on September 4 may bring these issues further into the spotlight as Harris faces intense scrutiny from the public and political opponents alike.
