This week, Jackson Lee declared her candidacy for Houston mayor.
Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas, has been the representative for the same area in the House of Representatives for more than 28 years. During that time, she has earned a reputation as one of the “meanest” members of Congress to work for.
However, she recently revealed that she would be competing for mayor of Houston in the off-year election, which, should she be successful, would put an end to her turbulent time in Congress.
Some of Jackson Lee’s wildest events from her time in the House are highlighted below.
Abuse claims against employees
According to an article published by the Daily Caller in 2011 that quoted several of Jackson Lee’s former aides, Lee has a reputation for being one of the most challenging members of Congress to work for.
One former worker claimed Jackson Lee “constantly” called him names, including “you stupid mother —-r,” while another said her out-of-town parents witnessed Jackson Lee brand her a “stupid idiot” because of a scheduling shift. The ex-assistant claimed that Jackson Lee instructed her, “Don’t be a moron, you foolish girl.”
Jackson Lee, according to another ex-aide, allegedly said, “You don’t understand. I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen.”
Others claimed that she routinely made them work late into the night or early in the morning and that she insisted on being transported wherever she went, no matter how short the distance.
In December 2017, Jean-Marie Simon was a traveler on a United Airlines flight from Paris to Washington, D.C. claiming she was forced out of her first-class berth on the Houston-bound aircraft to make room for Jackson Lee.
Simon, a Democrat, and advocate, claimed that United gave special treatment to Jackson Lee, but the airline said that Lee canceled her ticket using the mobile app, so the company is standing by its story. Simon said she didn’t rescind her ticket but was moved to a cheaper section.
Jackson Lee told the Houston Chronicle after the incident, “I asked for nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary and received nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary,” before claiming on Facebook that she was being targeted because of her race.
Simon refuted the racial bias allegation by saying she did not recognize Jackson Lee at the time of the event and that her reaction would not have changed if it had “been Donald Duck” instead.
Following a complaint filed by a former employee who claimed she was dismissed in reprisal for planned legal action related to an alleged rape by a boss in 2015, Jackson Lee was compelled to quit as chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) in 2019.
After the lawsuit became public knowledge, CBCF board members reportedly urged Jackson Lee to quit as chairwoman or risk a removal vote, as published by The New York Times.
The complaint claims the unidentified former employee was assaulted by Damien Jones, the foundation’s internship program administrator and her boss at the time, while she was an intern at the organization. Two years later, after Jackson Lee had become chairperson of the CBCF board of directors, she was recruited to work for him. Doe claims that A., the CEO of the CBCF at the time, texted Jackson Lee shortly after she was recruited. Washington, Shaunise.
Washington reportedly messaged Jackson Lee, “I just got a notification that you have a new staffer,” and then mentioned the name of the new employee. “Give me a ring, I know some stuff about her.”
The employee claimed she was let go in early March of 2018, not long after informing Glenn Rushing, Jackson’s chief of staff, that she intended to pursue legal action against the CBCF because she had “recently learned more about her case involving Mr. Jones and CBCF.”
The case was thrown out in 2020.
Jackson Lee’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment; however, the congresswoman has long blamed “racism” and “sexism” for the condemnation of her claimed conduct.