Sen. Amy Klobuchar had the highest turnover rate of any senator between 2001 and 2016. | Scott Olson/Getty Images congress Klobuchar promises to ‘do better’ by her staff

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar issued a statement late Friday promising to do better by her staff, following allegations she had frequently mistreated them.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work our staff has done and I would not be here without amazing staff,” the Minnesota senator told the Star Tribune in a statement. “I know I can be tough, I know I can push people too hard, and I also know I can do better — and I will.”


Klobuchar jumped into the presidential race Feb. 10. In the run-up to her announcement, she was accused of mistreating her staff and creating a toxic work environment.

Reports in the HuffPost, New York Times and BuzzFeed News detailed claims that Klobuchar had thrown objects in anger, insulted her staff and made them run personal errands.

Other staffers have dismissed the reports as sexist and said that while the three-term senator demands a lot from her employees, she has always been fair to them.

A former staff member told the Star Tribune that while many of the stories were true, they didn’t see that as disqualifying Klobuchar for president.

“The best way I can describe it is sort of like Navy SEALs training. It’s not intended to be fun. It’s hard. But what you get from it is you become very, very good at what you do,” said Zach Rodvold, who worked for Klobuchar during her first Senate run in 2006.

Klobuchar had the highest turnover rate of any senator between 2001 and 2016.

She has previously addressed the reports of her actions, saying: "Am I a tough boss sometimes? Yes. Have I pushed people too hard? Yes. But I have kept expectations for myself very high. Undertaking a presidential campaign, that’s a pretty good way to judge people in how they manage something.”