Former Van Drew staffers land jobs at Energy and Commerce Committee

A half dozen staffers of Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (N.J.) have landed jobs at the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Van Drew, a vocal opponent of impeachment, informed his staff that he plans to switch parties after a meeting with President Trump last Friday. 

The sudden shift sparked a number of his staffers to resign Sunday, along with offers to departing staffers from other wings of the Democratic Party.

A spokeswoman for the Energy and Commerce Committee confirmed that six of Van Drew’s former staffers would join the committee to work on short term projects. The hiring was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Van Drew, a freshman from a Republican-learning district, was one of just two Democrats to vote against opening an impeachment inquiry into the president.

In a letter to Allison Murphy, Van Drew’s chief of staff, five senior aides wrote that Van Drew’s jump to the GOP “does not align with the values we brought to this job when we joined his office,” adding that they were “deeply saddened and disappointed by his decision.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) had also offered jobs to Van Drew’s departing staffers.

“It’s right before the holidays and these staffers just quit their jobs to stand up for their Democratic values. We’ll bring them and others who leave on with the @dccc until they land new jobs that align with their values,” Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), the DCCC chairwoman, tweeted.