An employee of the powerful Democratic super PAC American Bridge is suing the organization for allegedly violating federal law and refusing to pay her overtime for more than two years.
Susan Hascall, who works for American Bridge as a tracker in Texas, alleged in the lawsuit, which has not been previously reported, that since March 2022, she “generally” worked nearly 50 hours a week — with that number reaching 65 hours during “primary seasons, midterms and general elections” — and rarely took lunch breaks.
American Bridge is the largest opposition hub for Democrats and progressives, and is known for following, tracking and conducting research on Republican candidates. The organization did not respond to NOTUS’ request for comment.
The organization has continuously opposed Republicans in the past for being against overtime pay. The group has also targeted Republicans for opposing workers’ rights and increasing the federal minimum wage.
American Bridge “is aware that [Hascall] is working overtime because it knows, through its manager and employees, that [Hascall] is sending communications and work materials during the work hours plead above, including on weekends, and that it directs [Hascall] to travel very long distances to attend public events, including on the weekends,” Hascall’s complaint, filed in August, says. Hascall’s lawyers declined to comment for this story.
In an October court filing, Hascall and her attorneys say they plan to have her supervisors testify, as well as other trackers who are in a similar situation. An update on the case is expected by Friday.
As a tracker, American Bridge sends Hascall a list of GOP politicians to track, per the initial complaint. Hascall said she collects audio and video, generates transcripts and looks for “particularly outrageous statements” a Republican has made about a topic, such as abortion.
The organization sometimes required her to travel around or outside of Texas, sometimes for “more than 8 hours each way” to follow a specific candidate. Hascall’s attorneys argue her travel time should be compensated.
American Bridge — which is being represented by the firm of Marc Elias, a prominent lawyer for the Democratic Party — denied Hascall’s claims in court, saying that she’s exempt from overtime compensation as a salaried employee making $57,000 a year. The organization also denied the work hours that Hascall put forth, claiming it “lacks knowledge or information sufficient” about her schedule because, they said, it is based on her “own estimates.”
The organization “acted in good faith and had reasonable grounds for believing that their alleged acts or omissions were not in violation” of laws regarding minimum wage and overtime pay, American Bridge said in a response to the complaint.
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Oriana González is a reporter at NOTUS.