The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Monday is expected to convene and decide whether to oust its current chair, Rep. Nanette Barragán.
The meeting comes just days after Ms. Barragán terminated the group’s executive director, Jacky Usyk, a Capitol Hill veteran, last Thursday. Ms. Usyk had only been in the post for a month.
The California Democrat’s leadership abilities are under scrutiny, along with her failure to hold staffers.
If Ms. Barragán is removed, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, New York Democrat, is a likely contender to assume the leadership role. It would be the second time a Hispanic woman was passed over for the role if this happens.
The staff turnover left the CHC with no employees in the five-person workplace, because the remaining staffers quit or found other jobs, and the California Democrat’s reputation as an abusive boss made it difficult to replace the CHC personnel.
Ms. Usyk’s firing first surfaced on the Instagram account “Dear White Staffers,” which amplifies anonymous Capitol workplace staffers’ complaints about their bosses.
Legistorm, a site that collects workplace information on every House and Senate office, showed that Ms. Barragán was ranked as the third-worst boss in the House last year.
The site defines this as “a reputation for being hard to work for, whether due to anger management, shady ethics, poor pay, demanding too much or creating a toxic work environment.”
Ms. Barragán’s office responded to the accusations.
“Jacky is no longer with the CHC,” the statement said. “We wish her well in her future endeavors. We do not comment on internal confidential personnel matters.”
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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