Five senior aides to Democratic Rep. Jeff Van Drew have resigned from their positions as the congressman is expected to switch his party affiliation to Republican.
On Saturday, news broke that the New Jersey Democrat was planning to jump ship and join the GOP over his opposition to the impeachment of President Trump. A day later, several top aides quit, saying they are “deeply saddened and disappointed by his decision” in a joint resignation letter.
“Sadly, Congressman Van Drew’s decision to join the ranks of the Republican party led by Donald Trump does not align with the values we brought to this job when we joined his office,” they wrote, according to the letter obtained by Politico.
Their letter also claimed that “Trump Republicans” have worked to “aid and abet Trump as he shreds the Constitution and tear the country apart.”
Those resigning include legislative director Javier Gamboa, deputy chief Edward Kaczmarski, deputy chief Justin O’Leary, communications director Mackenzie Lucas, and legislative staff assistant Caroline Wood. Van Drew’s chief of staff, Allison Murphy, is not expected to leave, but more staffers may join the others in walking out as the week progresses.
Van Drew, who flipped his red district blue in 2018, was one of two House Democrats to vote against the chamber’s impeachment resolution in October. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler indicated Sunday that his colleague might be worried about his reelection chances in a district that voted for Trump in 2016.
The president, who reportedly met with Van Drew on Friday, welcomed his decision to become a Republican, saying, “Jeff is very smart!”
