Wasserman Schultz announced her resignation as chair on Sunday, after WikiLeaks posted almost 20,000 leaked emails by top Democratic National Committee officials over the course of the primary season.
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“I’ve been proud to serve as the first woman nominated by a sitting president as chair of the Democratic National Committee”, Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.
Matters came to a head this weekend after WikiLeaks posted thousands of DNC emails which showed party leaders and staffers, including Ms. Wasserman Schultz, mocking Mr. Sanders and plotting ways to derail his insurgent campaign.
Wasserman Schultz said she remains committed to seeing Clinton elected president. She should step down, he said, “not only because of the prejudice I think [the DNC] showed during the campaign but also because I think we need new leadership that will open up that party” to working people, young people and “have the kind of vitality we need”. The party apparatus is supposed to remain impartial in contested races for the nomination. Bernard Sanders, who accused her of putting her finger on the scale to help Mrs. Clinton win the Democratic primary.
Wasserman Schultz had effectively lost control of the DNC already after Hillary Clinton’s campaign inserted operative Brandon Davis to run it on a day-to-day basis.
She announced her resignation after the website Wikileaks published a trove of leaked DNC emails, in which DNC officials mocked presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and debated using his religious faith to sway voters against him.
She added that she would name Wasserman Schultz “honorary chair” of the Clinton campaign’s 50-state program and Wasserman Schultz continue to serve as a surrogate for the Clinton campaign.
Just days after WikiLeaks released almost 20,000 e-mails from the Democratic National Committee, chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has resigned. Rep. Marcia Fudge was named the new convention chair.
Before the congresswoman’s resignation, Sanders called for her to step down following the publication of more than 19,000 internal emails from the Democratic party’s administrative arm. Bernie Sanders’ influence on the party, CNN reports.
As early as this morning, citing the leaked DNC emails, Sanders said it was past time for the chairperson to go. Trump tweeted. “Crooked Hillary said that I ‘couldn’t handle the rough and tumble of a political campaign.’ Really, I just beat 16 people and am beating her!”
As of right now, Schultz is still the Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee.
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Sanders, at an event Monday before the convention begins, kept his endorsement of Clinton – a move that was booed by many of his supporters in the audience.
