No stranger to controversy, Kyrsten Sinema is under scrutiny for reportedly issuing her government staffers a 37-page guide full of diva demands like ensuring she always has room temperature water and ensuring she never, ever has the middle seat on a flight. The Arizona senator, who recently changed her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent in a blatant move to stave off a primary challenge, may be in violation of the Senate Ethics Committees for her demands that fall outside of the government-sanctioned tasks for staffers.
According to the Senate ethics handbook, “staff are compensated for the purpose of assisting Senators in their official legislative and representational duties, and not for the purpose of performing personal or other non-official activities for themselves or on behalf of others.”
We’re guessing Sinema’s demands do not fall under that umbrella. Via The Daily Beast:
One section of the staffer guide explains that the senator’s executive assistant must contact Sinema at the beginning of the work week in Washington to “ask if she needs groceries,” and copy both the scheduler and chief of staff on the message to “make sure this is accomplished.” It specifies Sinema will reimburse the assistant through CashApp. The memo also dictates that if the internet in Sinema’s private apartment fails, the executive assistant “should call Verizon to schedule a repair” and ensure a staffer is present to let a technician inside the property.
The guide is yet another damning piece of evidence that Sinema is less concerned with the business of governing and more concerned with the perks of being a United States senator. She has routinely held up legislation for the Democrats to the point where many theorized that she may change her party affiliation to Republican. Instead, she went Independent, which to be frank, is a step in that direction.
(Via The Daily Beast)