Colorado congressional candidate Gabe Evans continued paying a top staffer, Jessica Spindle, after firing her for antisemitic and other offensive Facebook posts.
Spindle received her full pay for the first half of September, even though she was fired on Wednesday, Sept. 11, according to Federal Election Commission records.
This means Evans, a Republican, apparently gave Spindle two days of work-free payment, despite her transgressions that led to her immediate dismissal.
The Evans campaign didn’t respond to an email seeking to know why Spindle was given the funds.
“I can’t have my campaign associated with that,” Evans told KOA’s Colorado’s Morning News on Sept. 13, referring to Spindle’s antisemitic posts. “…We had to part company there.”
It’s not known if Evans and Spindle left on good terms, and the extra payment was an expression of goodwill on Evans’ part.
Evans, who currently serves in Colorado’s House, faces Democrat Yadira Caraveo Colorado’s most competitive U.S. House race, in a district north of Denver. In 2022, Caraveo, a physician, won the seat, which was created after the 2020 Census, by fewer than 2,000 votes.
Caraveo’s staff turnover rate is among the highest in Congress, and the reason for this is not known.
Spindle’s monthly consulting payment was $4,500, which she typically received on the last day of the month. After she was fired on Sept. 11, she received a half month’s fee of $2,250 on Sept. 18. The $2,250 payment appears to have included two days after which she was fired, as she did not complete a half month of work in September.
She was working for the campaign on July 1, however, when she received a “Primary Election Win Bonus” of $2,500, equal to a half month’s pay.
Since her firing, Spindle, who remains a Weld County School Board member, has deleted her social media feeds, but in addition to working for Evans she also endorsed at least one other Republican candidate: CD8 State Board of Education candidate Yazmin Navarro.
Navarro held a meet-and-greet event last Sunday in Broomfield with Evans.
“I am proud to endorse Yazmin Navarro for the State Board of Education,” wrote Spindle. “Yazmin is a dedicated advocate for both students and teachers, understanding the importance of parental involvement and high academic standards. Her commitment to school choice and empowering educators aligns with the needs of our community. Yazmin will fight for a better education system that truly listens to parents and supports our children’s success. I wholeheartedly support Yazmin Navarro for the State Board of Education.”
