LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 20: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks from the Ecuadorian Embassy on December 20, 2012 in London, England. Mr Assange has been living in the embassy since June 2012 in an attempt to avoid extradition to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual assault. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
WikiLeaks says it has delivered on its promise to release thousands of documents in an effort to harm Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign before the Democratic National Convention. On July 22, Wikileaks announced that it had hacked thousands of DNC emails and other documents. See the Wikileaks Twitter page for links to documents and more.
CNN reported that DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will no longer speak at the Democratic National Convention because of fallout over emails that appear to show DNC officials were conspiring against Bernie Sanders.
The DNC has not acknowledged that the documents are accurate or that its systems were infiltrated, Daily Caller says, and the documents could not be independently verified, although, if true, they could prove embarrassing to high-profile people, including NBC’s Chuck Todd. Emails show DNC officials may have been involved in plots to discredit Bernie Sanders when he was still running against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, WikiLeaks says.
RELEASE: 19,252 emails from the US Democratic National Committee t.co/kpFxYDoNyX #Hillary2016 #FeelTheBern
WikiLeaks says the documents include 167 off the record or deep background conversations as well as full audio of conversations. WikiLeaks claims that the emails show the DNC was plotting to expose Bernie Sanders as “an atheist” and trying to build an anti-Bernie narrative.
#DNCLeaks: DNC plotted to expose Bernie Sanders as an atheist t.co/RytNnJyNCD #FeelTheBern
#DNCleaks: Constructing an anti-‘Bernie narrative’ t.co/FPYNDyQ2W6 #feelthebern
One email shows DNC staffers plotting to create a fake CraigsList ad for a Trump organization, WikiLeaks says. WikiLeaks says another indicates top DNC press officials were considering spreading the rumors, pushed by Donald Trump, that Ted Cruz’ father was linked to the Kennedy assassination (Cruz denies it):
#DNCLeak: Trump may be right about Ted Cruz’s father & JFK kill — Comms head Luis Miranda t.co/jjJV1ndJzM
Some allegations were more serious than others.
#DNCleaks Did t.co/cxIep1AJAs asked DNC to commit an FEC violation “Don’t send me an email like this again” t.co/NiCKuHkx9d
Some, if verified, could just prove embarrassing to the senders, including this message disparaging the president:
#DNCleaks: “Cubs tickets… I don’t have anyone anymore and the guy who we used to go to hates Obama now.” t.co/IvYfgNIS3U
Some of the documents appear non controversial (such as invites to events, including with the president). Others appear to include donors’ private credit card information and other private information. However, people are already unearthing information about newsmakers. The Daily Caller says that Wikileaks has released nearly 20,000 emails in all that “it says are from the accounts of Democratic National Committee officials” adding, “The release could cloud the upcoming Democratic party convention, which kicks off next week in Philadelphia.”
In one email, it appeared that the DNC was vetting a Black Lives Matter leader, DeRay Mckesson, to “act as a surrogate.” The hacked email read in part, “Finance asked us to vet DeRay to act as a surrogate, possibly with the Chair, at an upcoming event.” The New York Times calls Mckesson one of the “best known voices” of the Black Lives Matter movement.
DeRay Mckesson was recently in the news when he was arrested in protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the wake of the police shooting death of Alton Sterling.
WikiLeaks has released emails that appear to be between NBC’s Chuck Todd and a DNC official. whom WikiLeaks says was “scheming” against Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski.
The email that WikiLeaks says is from a DNC official says in part, “Hey Chuck, per our conversation earlier today, I’d appreciate it if you passed along the following to the Morning Joe team. I understand Joe and Mika will say whatever they’re going to say in terms of opinion, but at a minimum they should consider the facts on some of the key allegations they’re making.”
The email contains background information and concludes, “There’s just no evidence that the process has been rigged.” Todd’s response is shorter: “Between us, You think the call is a good idea?” The DNC official, Luis Miranda, replies, “Not necessarily. If Mika just doesn’t like her, I’m not sure it’s worth either of their time. I’ve lowered her expectations, but don’t know. If you think Mika is set in stone I’m happy to kill it.”
In 2014, Todd was criticized by a Morning Joe panelist for seeming to be against Chris Christie.
Todd later said that, “unlike ‘Morning Joe,’ he’s not going to carry water for Christie” and said he was neutral: “I’m not cheerleading,” Todd said. “You’re asking me to cheerlead one side or the other. I’m not cheerleading. I know others on this show are cheerleading. That’s fine.”