What Happened?
A spokeswoman for 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Elizabeth Warren announced Friday, Oct. 4, the firing of one of Warren’s senior staff members for what was said to be inappropriate behavior.
According to CNN, Warren’s campaign team received multiple complaints over the past two weeks of national organizing director Richard McDaniel. The campaign’s decision to fire McDaniel came after an investigation into his behavior by a third party, according to the New York Times.
In Context
According to The Washington Post, a person familiar with the investigation said there were no reports of sexual misconduct but could not comment further. The investigation was conducted by Kate Kimpel and her firm KK Advising.
Apart from founding KK Advising, Kimpel co-founded Ramona Strategies, a firm specializing in workplace safety and sexual harassment cases, according to Politico.
“Based on the results of the investigation, the campaign determined the conduct was inconsistent with its values and that he could not be a part of the campaign moving forward,” communications director Kristen Orthman said in a statement given on Friday.
According to the New York Times, McDaniel worked with several Democratic campaigns throughout the years — most recently as a senior campaign aide for Senator Doug Jones of Alabama.
The Latest
According to Politico, McDaniel gave a statement on the matter concerning his firing and his thoughts on the campaign.
“I have tremendous respect for my colleagues despite any disagreements we may have had and believe departing at this time is in the best interest of both parties,” McDaniel said. “I would never intentionally engage in any behavior inconsistent with the campaign or my own values. I wish the campaign and my colleagues well.”
Warren told reporters that when she started her campaign, she put in place a course of action to handle situations dealing with any complaints. The process was followed in the case of firing McDaniel, according to New York Times.
Insiders familiar with Warren’s campaign said there had been discontent with McDaniel’s performance as national organizing director before complaints about his behavior came about.
