Scores of fed-up staffers on Jack Schlossberg’s campaign for Congress are fleeing his chaotic “dollar-store” run for office, according to a bombshell report that also revealed the nepo baby ditched key meetings to catch up on his beauty sleep.
The grandson of President John F. Kennedy, who is running to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District, is mounting a political bid plagued by erratic behavior, mysterious no-shows, and constant staff shake-ups, sources close to his campaign told the New York Times.
Sources have raised concerns over the 33-year-old scion’s fitness for public office ever since he bailed on a series of interviews with donors and media hours into the first day of his campaign launch in November.
Schlossberg reportedly told staffers he needed to take a nap before disappearing for the rest of the day.
Alarmed insiders told the outlet the wild antics underscored the Kennedy heir’s immaturity, noting he has since flaked on weekly strategy meetings and often gone off the radar for long stretches without warning or explanation – despite regularly squeezing in swims and paddleboarding in the Hudson River.
Jorge Muñiz Reyes, a canvassing coordinator who left the campaign last week, said he walked out after losing patience with Schlossberg’s lack of interest in community issues and campaign management.
Reyes compared the messy campaign to a “dollar-store flower bouquet.”
“The colors might be nice to look at for a few days,” he told the outlet. “But since the flowers lack roots, they can’t last very long.”
Schlossberg has burned through staff at a rapid pace, with campaign finance records and interviews showing he’s had at least two campaign managers, two field directors, several advisers, and a revolving cast of consultants over the past six months.
The former Vogue political correspondent also axed a slew of employees – most of whom inadvertently remained on the payroll for weeks because he didn’t tell them they were fired, sources said.
Schlossberg’s campaign manager, Paige Phillips, told the Times the political hopeful has been campaigning “amid a deeply, deeply personal tragedy,” referring to the December death of his sister Tatiana Schlossberg.
“If an anonymous source thought he ‘disappeared’ at any point, they should remind themselves of that fact,” Phillips pressed.
She then brushed aside concerns about staff turnover, insisting Schlossberg is “decisive and honest about what (or who) works and what doesn’t,” and emphasized that as a positive trait.
“In a campaign that spans nine months, this stuff should not surprise anyone working in New York politics,” Philips told the outlet.
Schlossberg has held a narrow lead in the crowded Democratic primary field and has picked up backing from prominent Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
He shot back at the Times’ reporting on Instagram Thursday morning with a photo of himself napping.
“Needed a quick nap !! Even though I just woke up. Rest of the day and months is wide open lmk if you wanna hang,” Schlossberg captioned his snarky post.
He also appeared on CNN and defended his campaign, explaining his “nimble and small” team is deliberately doing things differently and that claims in the article are “not true.”
“I work harder than anybody I know, and we’re doing it all and making it look easy,” Schlossberg said.
“People can’t figure it out. I’ve got four words for the pundits trying to understand our strategy: Follow the bouncing ball, meaning we’re going to lead you and at the end you’ll find out how the song ends.”
