Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has resigned following the release of emails showing DNC staffers favored Clinton over Sanders during the Democratic primaries, CNN reports.
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As the mother of my three fantastic children and the Representative of Florida’s 23rd congressional district, I know that electing Hillary Clinton as our next president is critical for America’s future.
President Barack Obama, who picked Wasserman Schultz to lead the DNC, said in a statement: “For the last eight years, Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has had my back”.
The chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, announced abruptly Sunday afternoon that she would step down at week’s end.
I have been privileged to serve as the DNC Chair for five and a half years helping to re-elect President Obama and Vice President Biden, strengthening our State Party Partnership in all 50 states, leading a vigorous primary election this past year while preparing for the general election and representing millions of Democrats across the country.
The Vermont senator Sunday repeated calls for the resignation of Wasserman Schultz, whose leadership was already under fire and whose impartiality was called into question by the leaks.
A cache of leaked emails from Democratic Party leaders’ accounts includes at least two messages suggesting an insider effort to cripple the upstart Sanders campaign that had competed with Clinton – including by seeking to present him as an atheist to undermine him in highly religious states.
Earlier in the day, she was replaced as convention chair by Rep. Marcia Fudge from Ohio.
“I don’t think she is qualified to be the chair of the DNC, not only for these bad emails, which revealed the prejudice of the DNC, but also because we need a party that reaches out to working people and young people, and I don’t think her leadership style is doing that”, Sanders told Tapper on “State of the Union”, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Clinton also adopted some parts of his progressive policy platform to attempt to woo his supporters, and Sanders put aside his differences and endorsed her.
The emails, allegedly hacked by Russians, gave new fuel to Sanders loyalists who for months have considered Wasserman Schultz prejudiced.
The moves come after the release of almost 20,000 emails from Wikileaks, and what has been described as Wasserman Schultz’s stormy stewardship, notes the news outlet. Sanders had called earlier Sunday for her departure.
Democratic strategist Steve Schale of Tallahassee said Wasserman Schultz made the correct choice, even if it might have been hard.
On Twitter, Republican nominee Donald Trump mocked Wasserman Schultz. Tim Kaine, himself a former DNC chair.
“I’ve been proud to call Debbie a friend for a long time, and while quitting isn’t in her DNA, the DNC has become a distraction at time when we need to unify to elect Secretary Clinton”, he said. I couldn’t be more excited that Democrats are nominating our first woman presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, a friend I have always believed in and know will be a great President. “It’s really too bad – we need her coalition building”.
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He said he’s not supporting Clinton and isn’t sure whether he will in November.
