Former Bachmann Staff Call Campaign ‘Unprofessional, Dishonest and at Times Cruel’

Rep. Michele Bachmann’s New Hampshire staff  members who last week quit en masse said Monday their treatment at the hands of the congresswoman’s national staff was “unprofessional, dishonest, and at times cruel.”

The outgoing staffers confirmed they had quit, despite recent comments by Bachmann herself and senior campaign officials that they were still employed by the campaign. In a press release issued Monday, staffer called those comments “dishonest and belittling.”

The staffers cited lack of pay, as first reported by ABC News, as well as lack of respect and commitment to running in New Hampshire among their reasons for quitting.

The campaign asked the staffers to “go off payroll” temporarily on Sept. 11, 2011, “due to financial concerns within the campaign.”

The staffers, all of whom have found jobs with competing campaigns, said they were loyal to Bachmann and her message but were dissatisfied with the way her campaign was being run. They said their inability to communicate directly with Bachmann or have their concerns taken seriously by senior officials were “symptoms of a disease that infects” the campaign.