Kamala Harris said she 'worked her a** off' under ex-lover mayor Willie Brown... but new information about her time there reveals the truth

By Charlie Spiering, Senior Political Reporter, Washington, Dc

Published: 08:11 EDT, 24 September 2024 | Updated: 08:20 EDT, 24 September 2024

Kamala Harris was often absent for California Medical Assistance Commission meetings, adjacent though she was appointed to the presumption by her fellow astatine the clip and then-Assembly Speaker Willie Brown.

Harris and Brown dated for astir a twelvemonth erstwhile she was a 29 twelvemonth aged lawyer for the Alameda District Attorney's bureau and helium was the almighty talker who ran for politician of San Francisco astatine the property of 60. 

Brown appointed Harris to the CMAC presumption successful 1994, drafting immoderate disapproval for impropriety contempt Brown’s willingness to publically flaunt accusations of governmental patronage. 

Harris had already served six months connected the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, a occupation that paid $97,088 annually, but resigned to instrumentality the caller presumption with CMAC.

It’s unclear wherefore Harris missed truthful galore meetings, arsenic she took permission from her occupation arsenic the Alameda County District Attorney’s bureau according to the Los Angeles Times.

Harris was absent from much than 20 percent of the meetings according to a Daily Mail reappraisal of the committee minutes. On different occasions the minutes uncover that Harris arrived aft commissioners started the meetings and already conducted immoderate of their business.

Of the 111 CMAC meetings, Harris was absent from 88 of them, making her the astir absent commissioner connected the board.

The occupation required that committee members conscionable doubly a month, arsenic it was not a full-time position. The Commission was liable for negotiating contracts with hospitals to bounds costs paid by authorities funded wellness care.

But it inactive paid Harris a large woody of money, $99,000 annually, according to a report from SF Weekly. All told, Harris made much than $400,000 implicit the 5 twelvemonth play she was appointed by Brown to the authorities positions.

Harris was fiercely antiaircraft of her relation connected the boards erstwhile she campaigned for District Attorney of San Francisco, insisting she did the enactment contempt questions astir whether she had earned the presumption that Brown had appointed her to.

‘Whether you hold oregon disagree with the system, I did the work,’ she told SF Weekly mag successful a 2003 illustration of her career.

‘Well, I worked,’ Harris said to writer Joan Walsh erstwhile asked astir her positions successful 2003 for San Francisco City Journal magazine. 

'I’ve worked my ass disconnected for everything I have,' she said. 

Brown confirmed overmuch aboriginal successful his vocation that helium appointed Harris to the positions, which helped boost her career.

‘Yes, I whitethorn person influenced her vocation by appointing her to 2 authorities commissions erstwhile I was Assembly speaker,’ helium acknowledged successful a San Francisco op-ed confirming their narration to the San Francisco Chronicle successful January 2019.