Bachmanns ex-NH staff: Campaign was rude, cruel

CONCORD, N.H. – Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann’s former New Hampshire staffers say they were deceived and treated as second-class citizens before they quit in frustration last week.

The five former staffers said they hold no ill will toward the Minnesota congresswoman, but they could not continue working for her because her national campaign team had been “rude, unprofessional, dishonest and, at times, cruel” to them and “abrasive, discourteous and dismissive” of the state’s voters.

“These are our neighbors and our friends, and some within the national team treated them more as a nuisance than as potential supporters,” the group wrote.

In a statement issued Sunday, the former staffers also tried to clarify confusion that arose Friday when Bachmann’s spokeswoman disputed reports of a staff shake-up.

Bachmann’s spokeswoman did not return a call seeking comment Monday.

Bachmann has only visited New Hampshire twice since announcing her campaign in late June. During her latest trip earlier this month, she blamed her absence on the August debate in Congress over raising the nation’s debt limit.