According to a 2019 op-ed for California newspaper The Union, Kamala Harris berated and mistreated her staff while serving as Attorney General of California.
The op-ed was written by a professor named Terry McAteer and it describes his son Gregory’s time working for Harris.
From The Union:
Four short episodes I would like to share of his month-long internship for Kamala Harris:
Senator Harris vocally throws around “F-bombs” and other profanity constantly in her berating of staff and others. The staff is in complete fear of her and she uses her profanity throughout the day.
As Attorney General, Senator Harris instructed her entire staff to stand every morning as she entered the office and say, “Good Morning General.”
Never once during the month-long internship did Harris introduce herself to our son (as he was only in an office with 20 paid employees) and staff was too intimidated by her to introduce him. The only acknowledgment was a form letter of “thanks” signed by Harris given to him on his last day of service.
Gregory was also given instructions to never address Harris nor look her in the eye as that privilege was only allowed to senior staff members.
I don’t know about you but this is not the workplace of someone who respects her staff. For a woman of color to have employees stand when she enters the room smacks of a bygone era that we, as Americans, deplore and find demeaning. Furthermore, that she didn’t show the quality of leadership skills or even being a decent boss — much less the “class” to approach Gregory at least once during the month to say “Hi, I’m Kamala Harris and I want to thank you for volunteering in my office” — is really troubling. Finally, what is up with the “don’t look her in the eye” instruction? I know I wouldn’t want to work in that hostile environment!
More over at The Union:
When I heard that 90% of @VP Harris' staff fled her office, I though that might not be true. I looked and it is true. Now I understand why. #KamalaHarris is not a nice person.https://t.co/hYd1Ri4YJq
— Bob Becker (@Bob_916) July 29, 2024
