Laura Richardson is in the midst of a sprawling ethics investigation. | JAY WESTCOTT/POLITICO Ex-Richardson aide: Rather be at war

In an explosive resignation letter, a disabled veteran and aide to Rep. Laura Richardson told the California Democrat that she’d “rather be at war in Afghanistan” than continue working for the congresswoman and accused a senior staff member of engaging in improper political activity on government time.

Brenda Cruz, who worked at Richardson’s office through the Wounded Warrior Program, wrote that Richardson and the senior staffer mistreated her during and after her pregnancy, forcing Cruz to conclude she had to leave the office for her own health and that of her child.


More important to a sprawling House Ethics Committee investigation into Richardson, Cruz alleges the congresswoman used her staff for political purposes. Cruz writes that she, herself, unwittingly engaged in political activity and that a senior staffer routinely and openly worked on Richardson’s reelection effort and other political campaigns while in Richardson’s district office. House aides may work on political campaigns but only outside of congressional offices and on their own time, and no government resources can be used in these efforts.

The House Ethics Committee, which is investigating whether Richardson and her aides improperly used official resources for campaign activities, is now in possession of a copy of Cruz’s March 9 letter, multiple sources told POLITICO.

In a lengthy response to POLITICO, Richardson’s office categorically denied Cruz’s claims, calling the allegations of political work on government time “completely baseless.”

Furthermore, a senior Richardson aide accused former staffers to the congresswoman who now work for Rep. Janice Hahn of influencing Cruz and stirring up trouble for political gain. The source said the relationship between the two offices has become “very toxic” because the Democratic lawmakers are running against each other in a newly redrawn California district.

Hahn’s office declined to comment for this story.

The letter and the strong response from Richardson’s camp, which has been reluctant to discuss her ethics troubles in the past, show just how ugly things have gotten in one of a series of marquee Democrat-on-Democrat primaries forced by the once-a-decade redistricting process.

And there’s no likelihood of a letup anytime soon: California has moved to a so-called jungle primary in which the top two finishers, regardless of party, move on to the general election. A third Democrat in the race, Isadore Hall, withdrew and endorsed Hahn, all but ensuring that the two women will fight all the way until November.

Several former Richardson aides who now work for Hahn have declined attempts by POLITICO to interview them about their work for Richardson.

Cruz’s letter is a twin hit for Richardson. On the ethics front, it represents yet another former aide accusing Richardson and her top staffers of crossing the line between official business and barred political activities.

And from a political perspective, Richardson now has to contend with the allegation that she mistreated a pregnant disabled veteran who was part of an official House program to help find employment for folks who served in the military.

“I would have preferred to work here until my two-year fellowship with the Wounded Warrior Program was finished but your constant harassment, bullying, and abuse toward me … has become more than I can take,” Cruz wrote.

“As a service connected-disabled veteran it is sad to say that I [would] rather be at war in Afghanistan then work under people that are morally corrupt. I have a child to think about now, and my son needs his mother to be healthy and happy.”

Cruz also aimed at the heart of the Ethics Committee investigation into whether Richardson improperly used congressional aides and resources for political and personal purposes.

“[U]nder your direct instructions I was relegated to be your receptionist and unknowingly, to illegally work on your campaign by assisting with packets to influence the California Redistricting Commission, when I should have been fully focused on helping my fellow veterans and the backlog of cases you have in your district,” Cruz wrote. She also accused the senior staffer of engaging in phone conversations and personal-account email exchanges about campaign issues while at work.

In its response, Richardson’s office denied each of Cruz’s assertions.

“It is against the policy of this office to discuss specific details about internal personnel matters. It must be noted, however, that the statements by this former staffer about her own work situation do not accurately represent her tenure with the office or her involvement with the congresswoman,” the statement, sent by Communications Director Makeda Smith, reads.

“Further, the suggestion that the [senior staffer] has used official time or resources to engage in campaign activity, rather than responding to personal responsibilities is completely baseless.”

Richardson also insisted she and her aides have done nothing wrong.

“The congresswoman recognizes that because work in a congressional office is plentiful and fast-paced, not all employees are satisfied with their employment situation, experience a good fit or find their job responsibilities enjoyable. Further, as in any office situation, personal tensions among staff can arise. None of that means that there has been any wrongdoing on the part of the office or the purview of the member,” the statement reads. “The congresswoman remains committed to complying fully with the law and the rules of the House. We are confident that, once all the facts are known, it will be clear that both the congresswoman and this office have so complied, with respect to this particular staffer as well as all other members of the staff, and this matter will be put to rest.”

The chief administrative officer of the House runs the Wounded Warrior Program, in which qualified disabled veterans are hired to work in lawmakers’ offices for two-year stints with a possibility of being hired as full-time employees at the end of the program.

Cruz became pregnant while working for Richardson and wrote in the letter that the lawmaker “began to question my ‘work production’ on the first day after I returned from maternity leave, even though all of my evaluations with the Wounded Warrior Program, filled out by your Casework Manager, prior District Director and current Chief of Staff, show consistently high satisfaction from both the constituents and my supervisors.”

Richardson has been a repeated target of ethics probes since she was first elected to the House in 2007. The Ethics Committee announced in November that it had created a special investigative panel to look into allegations that Richardson used “official House resources and personnel for work related to campaign activities and other non-official purposes.”

The probe began following public claims in March 2011 from another former Richardson aide, Maria Angel Macias, that Richardson and some of her top aides routinely asked staffers to do political work on government time.