Update: Debbie Wasserman Schultz said she will resign as the chairperson of the Democratic National Committee at the end of the week, reports The Washington Post.
“I know that electing Hillary Clinton as our next president is critical for America’s future,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement released on Sunday. “I look forward to serving as a surrogate for her campaign in Florida and across the country to ensure her victory.”
According to the DNC, Donna Brazile will take over as interim chair.
This story was originally published on July 24, 2016, 1:55 p.m. EDT.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz is out as chair of the Democratic National Convention after an email hack showed apparent bias against Sen. Bernie Sanders, reports NPR. The office of Rep. Marcia Fudge told NPR in an email that she "has been named permanent chair of the Democratic National Convention." Just days before the party's convention in Philadelphia, WikiLeaks published emails from the Democratic National Committee, which Wasserman Schultz also chairs, that appeared to show top officials in the party exchanging ideas to hurt Sen. Sanders' chances at the polls during the primaries. Since the emails became public, Sanders has renewed his call for Wasserman Schultz's resignation as head of the party. "I don't think she is qualified to be the chair of the DNC, not only for these awful 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 CNN. Clinton has not publicly responded to news that Wasserman Schultz won't chair the convention, but her campaign manager, Robby Mook, called the emails "disturbing" and something that "voters need to reflect on," while also suggesting that the emails may have been leaked by Russian hackers, The Washington Post reported.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz is out as chair of the Democratic National Convention after an email hack showed apparent bias against Sen. Bernie Sanders, reports NPR. The office of Rep. Marcia Fudge told NPR in an email that she "has been named permanent chair of the Democratic National Convention." Just days before the party's convention in Philadelphia, WikiLeaks published emails from the Democratic National Committee, which Wasserman Schultz also chairs, that appeared to show top officials in the party exchanging ideas to hurt Sen. Sanders' chances at the polls during the primaries. Since the emails became public, Sanders has renewed his call for Wasserman Schultz's resignation as head of the party. "I don't think she is qualified to be the chair of the DNC, not only for these awful 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 CNN. Clinton has not publicly responded to news that Wasserman Schultz won't chair the convention, but her campaign manager, Robby Mook, called the emails "disturbing" and something that "voters need to reflect on," while also suggesting that the emails may have been leaked by Russian hackers, The Washington Post reported.
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Meanwhile, Republican nominee Donald Trump took to Twitter to say, "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!"
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
In another tweet, Trump added, "Sorry folks, but Bernie Sanders is exhausted, just can't go on any longer. He is trying to dismiss the new e-mails and DNC disrespect. SAD!"