Harris got her start in 1994 by having an affair with slimy Willie Brown, who was serving as the California Assembly Speaker and then became the mayor of San Fransico. Brown was 60 years old and Harris was 29 when their affair began. Harris was so brazen that she came out publicly as his date at his 60th birthday party, despite his wife of 36 years being in attendance.
Harris slept with Brown for one reason; she used the corrupt San Francisco mayor to launch her rise to power. Daily Caller reports, “As Brown’s time as speaker drew to a close in 1994, he named Harris to the California Medical Assistance Commission, a job that came with a $72,000 annual salary. Brown had previously appointed her to the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board.”
She “was described by several people at the Capitol as Brown’s girlfriend,” the Los Angeles Times reported at the time. Although that job paid nearly $98,000, Harris’ term was set to expire in five weeks when Brown tapped her for the Medical Assistance Commission slot. That body met only monthly, and the $72,000 position was not considered a full-time job.