The New York Times obtained a strongly-worded resignation letter from a former Kamala Harris campaign staffer, who said she has “never seen an organization treat its staff so poorly.”
The Times published the letter Friday as part of a longer story about Harris’ fading campaign. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Calls For Kavanaugh Impeachment, Says ‘The Fact That Something Has Not Been Proven Doesn’t Mean It Didn’t Occur’)
“While I still believe that Senator Harris is the strongest candidate to win in the General Election in 2020, I no longer have confidence in our campaign or its leadership,” former staffer Kelly Mehlenbacher wrote in her resignation letter. “The treatment of our staff over the last two weeks was the final straw in a very difficult decision.”
Mehlenbacher accepted a job earlier this week with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a late entry into the race, according to Politico. The veteran Democratic campaign staffer previously worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. (RELATED: ‘Error’ Page On Trump’s Website Shows Hillary Clinton As President)
(SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
The Times report comes less than a month after Harris’ campaign announced that it was shutting down three New Hampshire offices, as the campaign focuses its resources on Iowa. However, Mehlenbacher’s letter chided the campaign for not having a plan to win the Iowa Caucuses, which will kick off primary season in early February.
“With less than 90 days until Iowa we still do not have a real plan to win,” Mehlenbacher wrote.
The junior California senator was considered one of the favorites to take home the Democratic presidential nomination as recently as this Summer, but has seen her poll numbers quickly evaporate following the most recent Democratic debates.
Harris has suggested that racism and sexism have hurt her campaign, saying last month that her race and gender are the “elephant in the room” for her campaign.