Debbie Wasserman Schultz, right, will resign as chair of the Democratic National Committee at the end of the national convention. That, according to CBS 4 Miami and the Sun Sentinel.
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Wasserman Schultz said on Sunday she would be stepping down as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee after Wikileaks released more than 19,000 emails showing Democratic officials had worked to undermine U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in his presidential primary battle with Hillary Clinton.
In a statement, Debbie Wasserman Schultz said she would “step down as Party Chair at the end of this convention”.
The news of Wasserman Schultz’s resignation came as Democratic delegates from the around the world were doing a microphone check inside the Wells Fargo Center, where the convention will be held. Seth Alexander, who wore a Bernie Sanders shirt, shouted at the breakfast where Wasserman Schultz garnered boos as she addressed her home state delegation.
Wasserman Schultz ultimately did resign as chair of the DNC, but immediately accepted a position as a top Clinton campaign official. By her mid-40s, Wasserman Schultz had survived breast cancer and was raising three kids – all the while serving in the House and raising millions for the Democratic Party.
Former President Bill Clinton is the star on Tuesday, while President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will rally convention-goers on Wednesday. “He isn’t going to be president”, Wasserman Schultz wrote to DNC Communications Director Luis Miranda from her personal email account.
Several Democratic sources told CNN that the leaked emails are a big source of contention and may inflame tensions between the Clinton and Sanders camps. Additionally, Wasserman Schultz slotted five Sanders loyalists on the platform drafting committee, a key Sanders demand.
“That means forming a coalition in the center even with people we don’t necessarily agree with”, said Bernard Sampson, a precinct chair.
Democrats and independent experts agree that Russian intelligence agencies were behind the attack on the DNC emails.
Clinton also announced in her statement that Schultz will now become an honorary chair of her campaign’s “50-state program to gain ground and elect Democrats in every part of the country”.
As of July 15, Politico had her total delegate numbers at 2,807.
“I look forward to campaigning with Debbie in Florida and helping her in her re-election bid – because as President, I will need fighters like Debbie in Congress who are ready on day one to get to work for the American people”, Clinton said.
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Ultimately, though, he offered his support for Clinton and insisted that she’s the best option for avoiding a Donald Trump presidency.
