USA TODAY International Edition
Van Drew aides resign over switch
Democratic lawmaker to join GOP in House
WASHINGTON – At least five aides to New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, the lone Democrat to come out against the impeachment of President Donald Trump, are resigning after multiple sources said the moderate is switching parties to join the GOP.
In a letter shared with USA TODAY, five staffers told Van Drew’s chief of staff, Allison Murphy, on Sunday that “Van Drew’s decision to join the ranks of the Republican Party led by Donald Trump does not align with the values we brought to this job when we joined his office.”
“Over the past year, Trump Republicans have sided with special interests over the needs of working people,” they said. “Worse, they continue to aid and abet Trump as he shreds the Constitution and tears the country apart. They have refused to grapple with how the President of the United States has jeopardized our national security for his own political advantage.”
Deputy staff chiefs Edward Kaczmarski and Justin O’Leary, legislative director Javier Gamboa, spokeswoman MacKenzie Lucas and legislative assistant Caroline Wood said they were “deeply saddened and disappointed” by Van Drew’s switch and could “no longer in good conscience continue our service on the Congressman’s employ.”
CNN reported that a sixth staffer resigned Sunday.
Four of Van Drew’s staff members came by their office on Capitol Hill Monday morning to drop off their badges and pick up their personal belongings.
They declined to answer questions at Van Drew’s office.
Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said she planned to give the staffers jobs.
“It’s right before the holidays and these staffers just quit their jobs to stand up for their Democratic values,” Bustos said in a tweet. “We’ll bring them and others who leave on with the @ dccc until they land new jobs that align with their values.”
Van Drew’s official and campaign Twitter accounts noted, “Republican or Democrat – We are all American.”
Van Drew is a freshman who won a seat last year in a New Jersey district Trump won by 5 percentage points in 2016.