A former legislative aide is suing Virginia representative, Delegate Marie March.
Tambra Blankenship claims she did other duties not related to legislative aide work and wasn’t paid for working overtime.
Blankenship’s lawyers filed a 16-page complaint in Richmond civil court.
According to court documents, Blankenship says she worked more than 40 hours a week and wasn’t fully paid.
She also claims she did work for March’s personal businesses while as a legislative aide and is now seeking $70,000.
“A wolf in sheep’s clothes, because what you see is not what is there,” Blankenship said.
Blankenship and Delegate Marie March connected in June 2022. At the time, Blankenship worked for an insurance company and handled March’s home and auto insurance.
Blankenship says she got a text the same month from March, asking if she knew of anyone willing to work as a legislative aide.
“With four kids, it seemed like it would be an amazing opportunity, so I decided to give it a shot,” Blankenship said.
Blankenship says about two weeks after accepting the job, she became more like an assistant.
“I was constantly on the road or in the office, taking care of business, answering phone calls, sometimes 11 o’clock at night I would sit in bed getting text messages,” Blankenship said.
Blankenship said while working as a legislative aide, things went south.
She claims she began doing work for March’s personal businesses, like Fatback Soul Shack and Due South BBQ, restaurants in Christiansburg.
Both are now closed.
“I couldn’t afford not to have a job. It was one of those things that I didn’t want to get on her bad side because, with four kids you kind of need good benefits,” Blankenship said.
While Blankenship claims there were good benefits, the relationship between her and March severed. She learned her job ended in August, the reason, Blankenship claims, is unknown.
“Monday morning, I woke up to a message saying we’re training your replacement,” Blankenship said.
Blankenship’s lawyer, Thomas Strelka, filed a complaint in Richmond civil court, claiming Blankenship performed work that benefitted March’s business and personal life that was outside her duties as a legislative aide.
“Ms. Blankenship was routinely directed by Delegate March to do things for her private businesses,” Strelka said. “Delegate March did not pay directly, Ms. Blankenship was only paid through a taxpayer-funded position.”
Strelka also claims March violated the Wage Overtime Act because March failed to pay Blankenship overtime.
“That is the law, one would think a lawmaker would know that or have more respect for that,” Strelka said.
10 News emailed Delegate March directly about the claims on May 22, and this week, she has yet to respond to our request.
10 News also reached out to the Attorney General’s office representing March, and they said, “We do not comment on pending litigation.”
In court documents, the Commonwealth’s Attorney representing March argues, “Blankenship failed to claim any expectation of compensation for any work done outside the scope of Delegate March’s official duties.”
They also claim March cannot be sued because, “She is a delegate of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and has not waived sovereign immunity, meaning, Virginia’s government cannot be sued without consent.”
But, Strelka claims that’s not entirely true.
“Sovereign immunity was lifted from 2021 to about midway of 2022,” he said.
While Blankenship awaits the hearing, the reason she came forward now is because she wants to make others aware.
“Actions have consequences, and sometimes people really need to feel those consequences,” Blankenship said.
The civil hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Richmond.