A top aide to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez is a power-hungry bully who berates underlings, allegedly trashed Jewish colleagues as “entitled” and uses the office for personal benefit, multiple current and former DA employees told the Post.  

Maritza Ming, 51, celebrated publicly for her Dominican heritage, became chief of staff in 2018, overseeing hiring, promotions and budgeting, and helping to manage investigations. 

But 15 sources with direct knowledge of the office say Ming’s conduct has severely damaged morale and driven out talented people. Those who spoke to The Post asked not to be named, fearing retaliation.

The DA’s office is standing by Ming and its spokesperson denied claims of abusive behavior, while Ming and Gonzalez declined to comment.

Staffers coined the cheeky hashtag #mingtoo and use that term when discussing her questionable behavior.

In one jaw-dropping incident last summer, she tried to challenge a former colleague to a fistfight at a retirement party.

Ming shouted, “What bitch? I’ll f–k you up! Let’s go outside!” and had to be physically restrained, stunned witnesses told the Post.

DA spokesperson Oren Yaniv called their account of the confrontation “categorically false.”

He praised Ming as “a trusted and valued advisor to the District Attorney” whose “around the clock” work — leading the DA’s Office through the pandemic and sweeping changes the criminal justice system — “inevitably ruffled feathers among certain members of our staff.”   

Current and former staffers describe Ming – who did stints prosecuting cases and supervising arrests before heading a new immigrant fraud unit in 2014 – as a toxic boss who “enforces rules that she doesn’t follow.”

They say Ming showed contempt for Jewish colleagues, whom sources heard her describe as “privileged,” and griped that certain bureaus had “too many Jews in power.”

An EEO investigation was initiated because of Ming’s treatment of a Jewish employee, records show. It was closed without finding a violation. Another complaint related to a Jewish staffer was lodged with DA leadership and is pending. 

Ming once told staff that observant Jews should pay more for kosher meals at an office holiday party, an insider recalled.

Yaniv denied the claims of anti-Semitism and said Ming was “instrumental” in promoting Jewish attorneys, but insiders said she merely signed off on Gonzalez’ moves.

Others who wanted to file discrimination complaints about Ming didn’t dare, sources said, because the EEO officers were friends with Ming and reported to her as Gonzalez’ designee. Records show she was involved in handling EEO cases.

Other alleged misdeeds included an EEO officer, who appeared to be reporting to Ming, deny a deputy homicide bureau chief permission to do that  job remotely at the end of her high-risk pregnancy during the pandemic.

After her maternity leave, the prosecutor asked to work temporarily from home to breastfeed, as she had difficulty pumping milk.

Although the courts were closed due to Covid, and most people were out of the office, Ming put her on a rotation to come in.

For three months, the prosecutor brought her infant to the office when scheduled.

Then she quit.

Yaniv disputed whether Ming was in charge of the EEO at the time, but records indicate that she was a co-EEO officer in 2021.

Like her former boss, the late DA Kenneth Thompson, sources claimed that Ming had on-duty detective-investigators and other staffers run personal errands such as picking up her kids from school in agency vehicles, and driving them to the office, where they hung out for hours, witnesses said – despite a DA policy against using the office for childcare.

Staffers also did chores for Ming, like assembling exercise equipment, delivering items she ordered to her home and making invitations for her kid’s birthday party, they said.

Yaniv said Ming denies any “inappropriate use” of city resources.

Other allegations included:

• As a punitive measure in 2021 against detective investigators who did not cater to Ming, a witness said, she stripped them of their agency cars, and made them sign out car keys when needed. Her own assistant, however, frequently used a city vehicle. In a July 28th affidavit produced by the DA for The Post, the assistant swore that she used it for work-related purposes. Insiders say the aide also used it to run personal errands for her boss.

• Ming allegedly oversaw the firing of Assistant District Attorney Joshua Zuckerman one day after he warned co-workers of an office COVID outbreak and criticized the COVID response team helmed by Ming. In court, the DA argued he was fired for insubordination. He sued Ming, Gonzalez and others, winning an $85K settlement from the city, although the DA’s office denied wrongdoing. “The Brooklyn DA and his senior managers do not understand the law they are sworn to uphold. Whistleblowers should not be retaliated against, and the DA, of all people, should know this,” Zuckerman’s attorney, Laura Koistinen, told the Post. The DA rescinded the termination, but Zuckerman left to work elsewhere.

• Ming improperly ordered staff to dock a prosecutor’s pay for working from home. Yaniv said the prosecutor did not have “executive approval” to do so. But the payroll staff had to reverse  Ming’s directive and pay the prosecutor.
• Ming often tried to “bully” HR about payroll and hiring issues, insiders alleged. When challenged, she replied,  “I don’t care about the rules.”
• Ming failed to submit timesheets “for years,” but got paid regardless – without an accurate accounting of her workdays and vacation, insiders familiar with DA record-keeping say. DA rules require that legal staff turn in timesheets no later than the 10th day of the following month. When a staffer appeared to mock Ming’s timekeeping record in an email referring to an audit, Ming reacted aggressively and berated them, internal records show. Yaniv disputed the charge, saying “a review found that she has submitted her timesheets well into 2023. Any deficiencies will be remedied promptly.” He would not say when the review occurred.

Half a dozen current and former staffers told The Post they spoke to Gonzalez about concerns over Ming.

She was a major factor in the departures of several high-level staffers, The Post learned.

But Yaniv called the allegations “meritless office gossip.”

Last month, Gonzalez named Ming to a newly created role as “confidential executive ADA,” describing it as a promotion. She took home $207,938 last year.

Her current salary is $210,000. 

Gonzalez, who makes $212,217, is well-liked, but his steadfast support of Ming has mystified staffers, a DA insider said.

“People are outraged. It has angered and baffled virtually everyone.”