Mike Bloomberg sued over rescinded promise to pay staffers through November

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is being sued after backing out of a plan to employ his 2020 staffers through the November election.

Three former Bloomberg campaign organizers on Monday sued him for fraud, saying his campaign rescinded its promise to pay 2,000 employees through November even if he didn't win the Democratic nomination, Politico reports. After laying off staffers last week, Bloomberg said he would be transferring $18 million to the Democratic National Committee rather than form an independent super PAC as planned.

"The Mike Bloomberg 2020 hiring managers expressly promised field staff applicants for Mike Bloomberg 2020 that they would be employed by Mike Bloomberg 2020 to perform work on the primary campaign to elect Michael Bloomberg as the Democratic nominee and on the general election, regardless of whether Bloomberg won the nomination, and stated that the Bloomberg campaign would keep open and financially support its field offices through the general election campaign," the lawsuit says.

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Another former Bloomberg worker also filed a proposed class-action lawsuit on Monday for the same reason, The New York Times reports. A lawyer for former Bloomberg field organizer Donna Wood said he deprived these workers "of promised income and health care benefits, leaving them and their families potentially uninsured in the face of a global pandemic."

Hiring materials used by the Bloomberg campaign promised "employment through November 2020 with Team Bloomberg," Politico reports, although according to the Times, signed contracts "stipulated that employment was at-will, allowing for termination at any time." According to Politico, the former staffers "argue in the lawsuit that they can bring these claims based on evidence that they were induced to sign on because of the longevity promises made to them."

Former Bloomberg staffers had blasted the former mayor last week after he announced he was backing out of his super PAC plan, with one telling the Times, "I'm so sorry I worked for this guy."