Staffers Gone Wild: Dem Rep's Staff Tweet About Drinking on the Job

It’s as if Weinergate never happened.

Over several months, according to online messages allegedly made by staffers with Democratic Congressman Rick Larsen, the D.C. office of Washington State’s 2nd District has been the setting of a staffers-gone-wild bash, a binge of embarrassing behavior including insults lobbed by legislative aides at the Congressman himself and accounts of on-the-job drinking, all broadcast for the world to see on via Twitter.

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NW Daily Marker learned of the succession of tweets made by three members of Larsen’s legislative staff – Seth Burroughs, legislative assistant (@therocketship1); Elizabeth Robbee, legislative assistant (@betsysbites); and Ben Byers, legislative correspondent (@byers_remorse) – messages dating from between August and early December of this year.

Though the tweets were made (and are continuing to be made) from personal – not official congressional – accounts, the messages describe on-the-job drinking, frivolous misuse of office time and resources, and contain public insults aimed at the boss himself – Congressman Larsen. If accurate, the tweets – made during and after working hours – raises questions about whether Larsen and his senior staff are paying close enough attention to the workplace behavior of personnel on the public payroll.

There are screencaps of the tweets at the link. A whole lot of unwise and some NSFW stuff is said.

None of these folks were senior staff. Three have reportedly been fired after the tweets became a story. And the accounts have been deleted. But their names are out there forever linked to youthful indiscretions.

And their tweets may end up in the Library of Congress.

Eh, they’re Democrats. These tweets were resume padding.