Debbie Wasserman Schultz is stepping down as the chair of the Democratic National Committee after a WikiLeaks data dump that proved she and other top democrats colluded against Bernie Sanders.
For what it’s worth, Sanders has been calling for her resignation for some time, saying “not only because of the prejudice I think [the DNC] showed during the campaign but also because I think we need new leadership.” That suggests the information detailed in the leaks was an open secret amongst Democrats.
As for the Democratic National Convention next week, Wasserman Schultz will still open and close the convention. In a statement, she had the following to say:
We have planned a great and unified Convention this week and I hope and expect that the DNC team that has worked so hard to get us to this point will have the strong support of all Democrats in making sure this is the best convention we have ever had.
RELEASE: 19,252 emails from the US Democratic National Committee https://t.co/kpFxYDoNyX #Hillary2016 #FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/Pft8wnOujl
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 22, 2016
Wasserman Schultz was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe was the DNC Chair in 2004, and called the leaks “very disturbing,” adding “if I were still chairman they wouldn’t be working there. I mean, that is just totally unacceptable behavior.”
This all casts a big shadow over the convention, which opens tomorrow in Philadelphia. Clinton will undoubtedly get her party’s nomination this week, positioning her squarely against Republican candidate Donald Trump. As you might expect, Trump had a few things to say about the Wikileaks dump on Twitter:
The Wikileaks e-mail release today was so bad to Sanders that it will make it impossible for him to support her, unless he is a fraud!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2016
I always said that Debbie Wasserman Schultz was overrated. The Dems Convention is cracking up and Bernie is exhausted, no energy left!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2016
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