Klobuchar defends work record: Yes, I am a ‘tough boss’

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) during a Monday CNN town hall defended her work record in the wake of reports that her staff has found her to be difficult, demanding and even abusive, saying that while she is a “tough boss,” she is also a fair one.

“I love my staff,” said Klobuchar, who announced she would be running for president earlier this month. “I have had the same people work for me for years.”

{mosads}Klobuchar recounted her previous experiences managing large staffs throughout her career as a senator and an attorney, highlighting the successes she has been a part of.

“I have had a long career of managing people, going back to the private sector.” 

After leaving the private sector, the now-senator managed the county attorney’s office in Minnesota, where Klobuchar said there was “very low turnover.” 

“Am I a tough boss sometimes? Yes. Do I ask too much of my staff sometimes? Yes.”

Klobuchar said that she has high expectations for her work and for America that she strives for.

“I ask my staff to meet those same expectations,” she explained.

That explanation mirrors the one she gave earlier this month after reports that the Minnesota Democrat has mistreated her staff for years.

HuffPost reported that three potential candidates to lead Klobuchar’s presidential campaign staff declined the job due to concerns about staff treatment.

Several of Klobuchar’s staff came to her defense when those reports emerged.

Kali Cruz, who worked in Klobuchar’s office during her first Senate term, said that the senator “cared deeply for me as her staffer.”

An unnamed campaign spokesperson also told BuzzFeed News that Klobuchar “loves her staff — they are the reason she has gotten to where she is today.”