Heads roll at DNC: 3 top officials out after email hack
The Democratic National Committee’s CEO and two other top officials have resigned in the wake of the leaked email controversy that marred the start of the party’s convention last week – in the latest shake-up at party headquarters.
According to a DNC statement, CEO Amy Dacey; chief finance officer Brad Marshall; and communications director Luis Miranda left their jobs on Tuesday.
The resignations mark the latest fallout from the email scandal that forced Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to step down on the eve of the Philadelphia convention. Those hacked emails exposed what appeared to be a pro-Hillary Clinton bias among top officials who at times disparaged primary rival Bernie Sanders.
Marshall had written the most explosive email, questioning Sanders' Jewish faith and suggesting he could be portrayed as an atheist.
He had written: “… He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.”
He has since apologized for the missive.
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Longtime Democratic operative Donna Brazile is now serving as the party's interim chair.
Brazile said Tuesday that she has created a "transition team" to help prepare the party for its post-election mission. She said Tom McMahon, a former DNC executive director under then-Chair Howard Dean, will lead that group.
In a statement, she thanked the departing officials for their work on fundraising and the party platform.
She said: “This election is the most important of my lifetime, and the DNC will continue to recruit top talent to help lead the fight to elect Hillary Clinton and Democrats across the country. I am committed to adding to our team of skilled professionals who will make sure that Donald Trump is held accountable for his reckless rhetoric and harmful policies.”
Clinton operatives who moved over to party headquarters after she had effectively secured the nomination in June will continue in their roles; that group includes DNC chief of staff Brandon Davis. Additionally, veteran Democratic strategist Doug Thornell will serve as an interim senior adviser to the party.
Dacey already has a new job. She has been hired by Squared Communications, a Democratic consulting firm based in Washington.
"As one of the top campaign strategists in our party, and with our experiences together on presidential, Senate and congressional campaigns, Amy will help our firm's clients navigate this and future election cycles," Michael Meehan, founder and CEO Squared Communications, said in a statement.
Before joining the DNC, Dacey was executive director of EMILY's List, which works to elect female Democrats.
The cache of more than 19,000 messages was made public by the group WikiLeaks just before the convention.
Democratic Party officials learned in late April that their systems had been attacked after they discovered malicious software on their computers. A cybersecurity firm they employed found traces of at least two sophisticated hacking groups on the Democrats' network -- both of which have ties to the Russian government.
The Democratic National Committee’s CEO and two other top officials have resigned in the wake of the leaked email controversy that marred the start of the party’s convention last week – in the latest shake-up at party headquarters.
According to a DNC statement, CEO Amy Dacey; chief finance officer Brad Marshall; and communications director Luis Miranda left their jobs on Tuesday.
The resignations mark the latest fallout from the email scandal that forced Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to step down on the eve of the Philadelphia convention. Those hacked emails exposed what appeared to be a pro-Hillary Clinton bias among top officials who at times disparaged primary rival Bernie Sanders.
Marshall had written the most explosive email, questioning Sanders' Jewish faith and suggesting he could be portrayed as an atheist.
He had written: “… He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.”
He has since apologized for the missive.
2016 Election Headquarters
The latest headlines on the 2016 elections from the biggest name in politics.
See Latest Coverage →
Longtime Democratic operative Donna Brazile is now serving as the party's interim chair.
Brazile said Tuesday that she has created a "transition team" to help prepare the party for its post-election mission. She said Tom McMahon, a former DNC executive director under then-Chair Howard Dean, will lead that group.
In a statement, she thanked the departing officials for their work on fundraising and the party platform.
She said: “This election is the most important of my lifetime, and the DNC will continue to recruit top talent to help lead the fight to elect Hillary Clinton and Democrats across the country. I am committed to adding to our team of skilled professionals who will make sure that Donald Trump is held accountable for his reckless rhetoric and harmful policies.”
Clinton operatives who moved over to party headquarters after she had effectively secured the nomination in June will continue in their roles; that group includes DNC chief of staff Brandon Davis. Additionally, veteran Democratic strategist Doug Thornell will serve as an interim senior adviser to the party.
Dacey already has a new job. She has been hired by Squared Communications, a Democratic consulting firm based in Washington.
"As one of the top campaign strategists in our party, and with our experiences together on presidential, Senate and congressional campaigns, Amy will help our firm's clients navigate this and future election cycles," Michael Meehan, founder and CEO Squared Communications, said in a statement.
Before joining the DNC, Dacey was executive director of EMILY's List, which works to elect female Democrats.
The cache of more than 19,000 messages was made public by the group WikiLeaks just before the convention.
Democratic Party officials learned in late April that their systems had been attacked after they discovered malicious software on their computers. A cybersecurity firm they employed found traces of at least two sophisticated hacking groups on the Democrats' network -- both of which have ties to the Russian government.
