Glassman replaces campaign manager

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rodney Glassman announced Aug. 30 that he had replaced his campaign manager, while another top staffer was preparing to leave the following day.

The campaign announced Aug. 30 that Bill Romjue replaced Patrick Mellody was campaign manager. Romjue most recently worked most for the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff in Colorado.

Campaign spokesman Blake Morlock said Mellody left to pursue other opportunities. Mellody could not be reached for comment.

“He left the campaign voluntarily,” Morlock said.

Sources close to the campaign, who spoke on the condition that their names would be withheld from the story, disputed Morlock’s version of events. They said Mellody’s departure was not voluntary. For a more detailed account of what those sources said about Glassman’s campaign and the departures of his staff, go to yellowsheetreport.com.

Mellody’s departure comes at a time when Glassman is hemmoragging top staff. Since mid-July, three top staffers have left the campaign, and Morlock said new media director Kevin Bondelli’s last day with the campaign would be Aug. 31.

Sources close to the campaign said Bondelli resigned over the same issues that led political director Junelle Cavero, field director Kristin Gwinn and communications director Dawn Teo to leave.

Sources close to the campaign said there was discontent over Glassman’s habits of staff excessively micromanaging the campaign, ignoring top staffers’ suggestions in favor of their subordinates or friends from outside the campaign, and berating staffers he feels aren’t following instructions.

Of the five staffers who have recently left or are about to leave, only Mellody and Teo have been replaced. Morlock took over the communication director position in August.

A press release announcing Romjue’s hiring noted that he would join advertising consultant Dane Strother, direct mail consultant Achim Bergmann and pollster Ben Tulchin, which Morlock referred to as Glassman’s “team of senior advisors.”

Fundraising has been an issue for Glassman, both inside and outside the campaign. Sources close to the campaign say one of the top complaints of the staffers who left is that Glassman marketed himself as a self-funder who would pour millions into his campaign, but has so far put in $500,000.

Sen. John McCain, who Glassman faces in the November election, has already spent more than $18 million.