(Jeff Chiu/AP)Michele Bachmann's paid staff in New Hampshire has reportedly quit the campaign en masse, protesting the candidate's lack of commitment in the state.
The resignations, first reported by WMUR's James Pindell, come as Bachmann tries to regain momentum for her struggling Republican nomination bid.
A spokeswoman for Bachmann did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in an interview with Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson, Bachmann said she was unaware of any resignations.
"This is a shocking story to me," Bachmann said. "I don't know where that came from. We have called staff in New Hampshire to find out where that came from and the staff have said that isn't true, so I don't know if this is just a bad story that's being fed by a different candidate or campaign. I have no idea where this came from, but we've made calls and it's certainly not true."
But the departures have been confirmed by numerous media outlets, including the Associated Press, the New Hampshire Union Leader and ABC News.
Among those who have left the campaign: Jeff Chidester, a conservative activist and close friend of Bachmann's who had been serving as her campaign manager in New Hampshire. He confirmed to the Union Leader that he quit the campaign, but he insisted it because of frustrations with Bachmann's political advisers, not with the candidate herself.
As The Ticket previously reported, Bachmann has been under fire from conservatives in New Hampshire for not spending more time in the state. Earlier this month, the Minnesota congresswoman blamed her lack of trips to New Hampshire on votes in Washington—even though she's cast just one vote in Congress since August.
The Union Leader ran a blistering editorial slamming Bachmann's excuse and accusing the 2012 hopeful of regarding voters in the state as "rural rubes."
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