Former Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) traumatized staffers while serving in Congress and running for reelection last year, according to a report by The Colorado Sun.

The former House Democrat’s behavior was reportedly so “frightening” that her aides “proposed a safety plan requesting that sharp objects be removed” from her offices.

According to the report, Caraveo twice appeared to have attempted suicide last year in situations witnessed by staffers.

U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo’s behavior last year while serving in Congress and running for reelection was so frightening and traumatizing to staff that aides proposed a safety plan requesting… (Colorado Sun)

📲 Full Story – https://t.co/oWhh3t8whV

— Rocky Mountain Voice (@TheRMVoice) May 1, 2025

From The Colorado Sun:

The plan, a copy of which was obtained by The Colorado Sun, was dismissed and staffers say they were told they had a choice: either commit to contending with Caraveo’s mental health challenges or resign within a day.

This story is based on nearly a year of reporting and conversations with more than 20 people, including interviews with four former Caraveo aides, as well as documents and audio recordings from first responders obtained by The Sun, both through public records requests and from a law enforcement source.

The former staffers, who spoke to The Sun on the condition of anonymity, said they felt mistreated and taken advantage of by the congresswoman, especially when her mental health issues led to a pair of harrowing incidents last year.

Caraveo twice appeared to attempt suicide in situations witnessed by staffers. The first time was in February 2024, when she sent concerning messages to aides who rushed to her Thornton home and found that she had taken 19 sleeping pills and was drinking alcohol, leading to an emergency response and hospitalization.

Then, in April 2024, Caraveo showed up to an event at her congressional office in Northglenn after ingesting a large quantity of a powerful sedative and had to be rushed to a hospital. Aides called 911 and led police and firefighters to the congresswoman.

Colorado Dem Yadira Caraveo had one of the highest staff turnover rates in Congress. This might help explain why: pic.twitter.com/WxahDZ38Md

— Ethan Barton (@ethanrbarton) May 1, 2025

Yadira Caraveo’s former aides say they were mistreated, traumatized by Colorado congresswoman https://t.co/o7bJ0WCcAo

— The Colorado Sun (@ColoradoSun) May 1, 2025

Caraveo lost her reelection bid for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.

She’s attempting to reclaim the seat in 2026.

More from The Washington Free Beacon:

The aides, who requested anonymity to avoid retaliation, said they were speaking to provide a warning for anyone considering working for Caraveo, who had one of the highest turnover rates in Congress last year.

Caraveo is aiming to reclaim Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District after losing to Rep. Gabe Evans (R.) in 2024 by less than a single percentage point. The swing district’s 2026 outcome could decide which party controls the House—and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is not actively supporting Caraveo.

The Democrat admitted in March that she leaned on her aides and claimed she apologized to them.

“Many times [my staffers] were the only ones that I felt like I could be open with and not pretend to be OK all the time, because that was the rest of my life — pretending that I was OK,” Caraveo told Colorado Public Radio. “I know that it placed undue pressure on them, and I’ve apologized to them many times. But also, [I] needed them to understand and acknowledge that it was an illness and that I couldn’t completely control how I was reacting to that illness until I finally got help.”