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Republican Josh Mandel of Ohio—a loud and proud Trump supporter who believes the 2020 election was rigged—recently had three staffers quit work on his campaign for the United States Senate.
Two of the former staffers told the Columbus Dispatch they quit due to it being a toxic work environment.
The blame for that toxic work environment is being placed on Mandel's campaign finance director, Rachel Wilson, who is also in a relationship with Mandel. The two apparently began their relationship in August of last year.
According to anonymous sources who spoke to the Columbus Dispatch, it was not unusual for staffers to cry at the office "on a regular basis" due to the unreasonable demands placed on them by Wilson. These included 12-hour workdays and putting up with her cursing at them.
One source said the verbal abuse from Wilson wasn't reserved only for staffers, as the couple would have frequent "blow-out arguments" about Mandel's campaign.
"They'd go out in the hallway and scream at each other."
Mandel recently tweeted he thought the commission investigating the January 6 insurrection should be abolished and replaced with a commission to investigate the nearly non-existent voter fraud instead.
Donald Trump created just such a commission to explain his 2016 popular vote loss. After several months, Trump's handpicked commission concluded there was no widespread voter fraud as Trump claimed.
Mandel recently told the conservative Washington Examiner:
"I'm confident that the results of the commission's investigation of the 2020 election will prove what we all already know that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election."
I\u2019m calling on the Senate to abolish the January 6th commission and replace it with a November 3rd commission.\n\nWe need to stop cheating and ensure that our elections are fair and secure.https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ohio-senate-mandel-commission-trump-election-2020\u00a0\u2026— Josh Mandel (@Josh Mandel) 1624627968
Twitter had no shortage of criticism for Mandel.
incompetence and arrogance are a dangerous combination— PissedAnarchist (@PissedAnarchist) 1624994197
What is it with GOP men and unelected spouses / girlfriends all up in their official business? Pompeo's wife. Ginni Thomas. Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lara Trump for the doofus brothers. This guy.https://www.rawstory.com/josh-mandel-2653592045/\u00a0\u2026— Portia J&J\ud83d\udc89 McGonagal (@Portia J&J\ud83d\udc89 McGonagal) 1624993700
.@RawStory Trump-loving candidate's staffers flee campaign over 'toxic' environment created by his girlfriend: report (Let\u2019s face it, the whole @GOP is nothing more than a toxic stew of entitlement.)https://www.rawstory.com/josh-mandel-2653592045/\u00a0\u2026— Kat Godspell (NOW Unplugged) \ud83c\udff4\ud83d\udea9\u270a\ud83c\udfff\ud83c\udd98 (@Kat Godspell (NOW Unplugged) \ud83c\udff4\ud83d\udea9\u270a\ud83c\udfff\ud83c\udd98) 1624994489
LOL Josh Mandel can't even keep staff.\n\nTrump-loving candidate's staffers flee campaign over 'toxic' environment created by his girlfriend: reporthttps://www.rawstory.com/josh-mandel-2653592045/\u00a0\u2026— Paul Chambers\ud83d\udce2\ud83c\udfe5\ud83e\udd21 (@Paul Chambers\ud83d\udce2\ud83c\udfe5\ud83e\udd21) 1624998131
It usually takes years in Congress before the member is dating a staffer and letting that person abuse other staff. \n\nOnce again, Josh Mandel is just ahead of the game.https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/06/29/josh-mandel-campaign-toxic-work-environment-sources-say/5323272001/\u00a0\u2026— Matt Fuller (@Matt Fuller) 1624991042
Republican campaign, toxic environment, questionable relationship with staffer.\n\nWell, colour me surprised.— Chrissy CD (@Chrissy CD) 1625019963
Mandel is no stranger to bizarre controversy.
Earlier this month, he tweeted a 10-second video clip of himself burning a mask in a stairwell.
FREEDOM pic.twitter.com/EfJlH18BqA— Josh Mandel (@Josh Mandel) 1622593991
Oh, so this is the guy who set a mask on fire on a stairwell. Just an all-around classy dude. (Not!(https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/02/politics/josh-mandel-ohio-donald-trump-masks-covid-19/index.html\u00a0\u2026— Ellyce in the PNW (@Ellyce in the PNW) 1625035365
So perhaps hazardous workplace should be added to the accusations against Mandel?
Don't play with fire, Josh, especially not inside public buildings.