Sinema Expected Staffers to Handle Her Grocery Shopping, Internal Memo Reveals

Grocery runs, hotel pool specifications, weekly massages, Wi-Fi repairs, and an abundance of room-temperature water are just some of the demands placed on Arizona Senator Krysten Sinema’s staffers, according to a document obtained by The Daily Beast.

The 37-page memo to staffers provides detailed instructions to those working for Sinema — and in the process, gives an inside look at the senator’s life both in and out of work. 

A spokesperson for Sinema, Hannah Hurley, indicated to The Daily Beast that the alleged memo “is not in line with official guidance from Sen. Sinema’s office and does not represent official policies of Sen. Sinema’s office,” adding that the senator “does not require staff to perform personal errands.”

The memo, which the Daily Beast identified as being several years old, provides guidance to Sinema’s executive assistant and other staffers. One portion specifies that the assistant is responsible for asking the Senator if “she needs groceries” once a week and submitting the amount of the purchase for reimbursement via Cash App. The memo also instructs staffers on how to handle wifi outages in Sinema’s home, including being present at the home to oversee the repair. 

Staffers are also responsible for ensuring that the senator is fed multiple times throughout the day. “Due to her very high level of activity,” reads the memo, “she is always hungry and needs to consume a lot of protein each day.” The memo states that Sinema takes three meal/snack breaks and cautions staffers against scheduling anything after 6:30 p.m. without first “ensuring she has dinner.”

Sinema’s workout and exercise regime are portrayed as a central focus of staffers scheduling duties. Staffers are instructed to consult with Sinema and schedule recovery time after races, book weekly massages even if they overlap with the legislative workday, and verify that the dimensions of hotel pools accommodate her desired size — a task that staffers told the Daily Beast can consume hours.  

Particular focus was placed in the memo on Sinema’s requirements for air travel. “KS does not like to fly… It is your job to make her as comfortable as possible on each flight,” the memo reads. If Sinema is not automatically upgraded to first class via her American Airlines platinum status, staffers should do everything possible to secure her an aisle seat near the front of the plane, but not near bulkheads or bathrooms. If a middle seat is the only option, staffers are instructed to offer to book the Senator on a different flight with better seating options. 

The memo also raises questions regarding how the senator was prioritizing both her and her constituents’ time. According to the memo, meetings with Arizona constituents were limited to half an hour on Wednesdays, less than half of Sinema’s weekly massage time. Plenty of time, however, is allotted to lobbyist meetings, as well as fundraising calls and events.