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Madison Sheahan controversy explained: Kristi Noem's ex-ICE deputy allegedly had relationship with 19-year-old staffer
Madison Sheahan, ex-ICE deputy director, is accused of an inappropriate relationship with a young staffer and creating a hostile work environment.
Madison Sheahan, a former senior official at the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is under fire again following reports alleging an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. The Daily Mail report also reveals claims of a toxic workplace environment.
According to the outlet, the former deputy director at ICE has been accused of engaging in a secret relationship with a younger staff member and targeting employees she perceived as disloyal.
Read more: Is Madison Sheahan married? What to know about ex-ICE Deputy Director's family
A forced relationship with a young staffer
A former staffer of Madison Sheahan, who talked to the Daily Mail on the condition of anonymity, gave a thorough interview that revealed allegations of a covert sexual relationship between her and the ex-ICE official when the former was just 19.
Sheahan allegedly started a sexual relationship with the subordinate when she moved into her home during the COVID-19 pandemic while she was the state election operations director for the 2020 Trump campaign.
Sheahan volunteered to allow the 19-year-old college girl to stay at her house after she apparently lost her dorm. The former staffer claimed that their sexual relationship started a few weeks later.
The respondent claimed that while Sheahan was in a senior position at ICE, she used her considerable professional authority to engage with the subordinate. The woman claimed that Sheahan tried everything in her power to prevent her from leaving her for a man because she was plagued by a persistent insecurity.
She recounted an incident from November 29, in Atlanta, when the ex-partner went out with several friends. Before they left, she messaged Sheahan a picture while donning a tight-fitting black bodysuit and black jeans.
“She lost it on me,’ the woman recalled. ‘It went from her saying, “Have fun, have a great night,” to, 'What the f***, you're not gonna f***ing go. Are you actually f***ing serious? I'm not gonna talk to you again,” she further alleged.
Two separate sources supported the woman's account of her abusive relationship with Sheahan, the publication added. One of the sources told Daily Mail that Sheahan's shouting could be heard through the hotel room's walls on speaker phone.
The former staffer further said, “I think a lot of the problems with our relationship was that she's not comfortable in her own skin. It's okay to be gay … but I don't think that's something she has accepted.”
The woman said that a phone conversation she had while traveling from Washington, DC, in 2022 ended the relationship.
Allegations of workplace misconduct
Sheahan allegedly targeted female colleagues whom she considered to be "disloyal" to her and who she believed posed a danger to her authority. According to the Daily Mail, Sheahan was known to aggressively harass her employees and aides by frequently threatening to "rip their faces off."
A senior DHS official told the outlet, “She’d always try to be the alpha in the room. There could never be a stronger woman. Madison was intimidated by strong women.”
The official added, “She’d always push to get women fired.”
The senior official further noted that Sheahan would give other employees the impression that she had Noem's complete support and authority.
Sheahan resigned from her ICE role in January
Ahead of the Republican primary on May 5, Sheahan resigned in January to run against Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur for Ohio's ninth Congressional District.
According to a JL Partners poll, Sheahan is in third place with 10% support from GOP primary voters despite having raised over $450,000 since declaring her candidacy.
