Harrell strategist was paid for years at City Hall in unusual arrangement

Shortly after his election in 2021, Mayor Bruce Harrell asked his political consultant, Christian Sinderman, to work on his official transition.

Sinderman, one of Washington’s most powerful Democratic operatives, had just helped Harrell to an easy win. He agreed to join the mayor-elect’s communication team for two months as a $250-an-hour consultant.

When Harrell took office, he asked Sinderman to stick around for a few more months. And the contract kept getting extended. And extended.

The taxpayer-funded arrangement lasted three years, weaving Harrell’s key political strategist into the daily workings of the mayor’s office. He was given a city email address and regular invitations to executive team meetings and retreats. When Harrell’s staff took a Myers-Briggs personality test togethe