PRESS RELEASE from Team NH -
Bachmann for President
Contact:
Karen Testerman
Bachmann's New
Hampshire Campaign Departs
The
Team cites lack of support and poor communication as reasons for leaving
Manchester, NH – October 23, 2011:
For Immediate Release
The Team-NH of the Bachmann Campaign has chosen to release a joint
statement regarding their departure from the campaign. This statement
explains the following:
- The NH Team didn't want to leave the campaign, but it should be
clear the entire NH team has departed.
- Everyone should understand that the NH Team realizes the
importance of this election
- The NH team is committed to making Obama a one-term president,
but it will be through other organizations/campaigns.
- The team holds no ill will towards the candidate, but not longer
feels relevant based on their poor relationship with the national team.
Team-NH of the Bachmann Campaign has decided to disband. This decision
comes after much soul-searching by each individual and after countless
hours of discussion as a team. Although the team members regret our
departure from the campaign, we know there was very little choice.
The team also wants to clarify some of the confusion regarding their
departure. While they collectively felt loyalty to the candidate, they
no longer have faith in the national team. This is a sentiment that has
been building since June, and was expressed on numerous occasions to
members of the national team; it is now apparent that Team NH's
concerns were not fully shared with Congresswoman Bachmann, and were
not taken seriously by some members of the national team. These are
symptoms of the disease that infects too many members of the national
campaign team.
It is also important that the chain of events of our departure is
properly reported. During Congresswoman Bachmann's recent trip to New
Hampshire, several incidents happened that concerned some members of
Team-NH. Those incidents will remain private, but they were serious
enough for some members to depart the campaign. Jeff Chidester, the NH
Campaign Manager, sent an e-mail on Thursday, October 13, 2011 to a
person he trusted who was connected to the campaign announcing that
Chidester was "done," and would no longer stay with the team. The
recipient of that e-mail asked if the entire NH team was also
departing. Chidester informed this individual that some members of the
team might be interested in staying, but that major changes needed to
occur and that the national team must make contact with each member.
Additionally, members of Team-NH made numerous attempts to directly
contact a senior member of the national team on Friday, October 14,
2011, expressing a possible desire to remain with the campaign, but
they wanted to clear up a few matters. This senior member of the
national campaign did not attempt to contact the NH campaign staffers.
The staffers took this as a signal that the national team did not want
to engage in a
FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 24, 2011 MORE
TEAM NH – BACHMANN FOR PRESIDENT PAGE 2
conversation that might have resulted in the staffers remaining with
the campaign. The staffers no longer wish to be part of the campaign.
Regarding pay, there also seems to be some misunderstanding. The five
departing members were full-time contract employees until September 11,
2011, when they were asked by the national team to temporarily “go off
payroll”, possibly until the middle of October (2011), due to financial
concerns within the campaign. Moreover, Chidester voluntarily took
himself off payroll (retroactive to September 1, 2011) for the
remainder of the campaign in an effort to help the campaign
financially. Some members went back on payroll for Congresswoman
Bachmann's most recent trip; but to date, no member of Team-NH has
received any notification to continue employment - yet another failure
by the national team to communicate with Team-NH. Recent statements by
some members of the national team regarding the employment status of
Team-NH were dishonest and belittling, but indicative of the larger
problems that led to Team-NH's departure.
Team-NH would like to stress that pay was not a primary motivation, and
that each member was committed to the candidate and her principals.
Team-NH regarded themselves as a team ready and willing to help
Congresswoman Bachmann win New Hampshire. Sadly, they were deceived,
constantly left out of the loop regarding key decisions, and relegated
to second-class citizens within a campaign in which they were the
original members.
The manner in which some in the national team conducted themselves
towards Team-NH was rude, unprofessional, dishonest, and at times
cruel. But more concerning was how abrasive, discourteous, and
dismissive some within the national team were towards many New
Hampshire citizens. These are our neighbors and our friends, and some
within the national team treated them more as a nuisance than as
potential supporters.
Through all this chaos, Team-NH was never involved in the shifting
strategy discussions. Team members were repeatedly ignored regarding
simple requests, sometimes going weeks with little or no contact with
the national team. Yet the members of Team-NH remained committed to
Congressman Bachmann, often at peril to their own personal and
professional reputations within New Hampshire.
Sadly, all of this could have been avoided. It saddens this team to see
a dedicated patriot - a person so desperately needed in the White House
- sequestered behind a wall of pretense, guarded by political
operatives consumed by their own egos.
It is distressing that the motives of the members of Team-NH who are
now departing the campaign are being questioned. Team-NH has always
been dedicated to Congresswoman Bachmann. They've worked very hard over
the past several months to ensure her success in NH. We wish her well
and will continue to work toward our shared goal of making President
Obama a one-term president.