Lawmaker Accused by Staff Member

In an explosive resignation letter, a disabled veteran and aide to Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA) told the lawmaker 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, Politico reports.

Brenda Cruz 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.”