DNC head denies Sanders’s claim of convention favoritism

by Lisa Hagen - 05/11/16 5:49 PM ET

Bernie Sanders, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DNC

The head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is denying Bernie Sanders’s claim that the DNC is favoring Hillary Clinton in the party’s convention setup.

During a Wednesday call with reporters, DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said “there appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding on the Sanders campaign” about how members are appointed to committees at this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

{mosads}Sanders said in a letter to Wasserman Schultz last week that he felt Clinton was getting more representation on key committees.

He said that of the 45 people he recommended to serve on the standing committees, only three were chosen and none will serve on the rules committee, which will dictate procedure for the July convention.

Wasserman Schultz, a Florida lawmaker in the House, on Wednesday said party rules stipulate that she and the DNC executive committee elect 25 members to each of the three committees, which she said was completed back in January.

She explained that the remaining membership will be “divided proportionally based on the statewide vote that each candidate has earned.”

“I do not think that Sen. Sanders’s concerns are valid or warranted, and the rules already cover what the candidates will proportionally earn, which they already have throughout this primary,” Wasserman Schultz said.

She added that she expects unity at the convention and that both Clinton and Sanders will be deeply involved in helping to shape the party platform.

“I’m not at all concerned we are going to have a divisive fight at our convention,” Wasserman Schultz said.

“I expect we’ll go through a platform drafting process that will result in a platform that the entire party rallies around. Both of our candidates are going to substantially participate in the drafting of our platform.”

Tags Bernie Sanders DNC Hillary Clinton