House Dem campaign chief presses GOP on banning use of hacked materials

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) on Thursday pressed his Republican counterpart to sign a pledge not to use stolen or hacked materials on the campaign trail. 

Luján’s comments came a week after the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) backed out of a talks with the DCCC over an agreement not to seek or use stolen information in campaigns

NRCC Chairman Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) accused Democrats of violating a pledge not to speak to the media about the talks.

{mosads}But Luján hit back, accusing Stivers of being the first to reveal the talks to the press in June.

“It was revealed to the press by my friend what we were working on,” Luján told reporters Thursday. “I still hope that the NRCC will come forward and make the same commitment that the DCCC did.”

Stivers faulted Luján last week for the failed negotiations, accusing him of using media attention to gain “leverage” in the talks. He also asserted that the NRCC had no interest in using stolen information. 

“It was about … trying to use the press for leverage on timing and other stuff, which I just felt like was a breach of what we agreed to at the beginning; to not play this out in the press,” Stivers told reporters at a breakfast on Friday.

That same day, Luján signed a pledge vowing that the DCCC would not use hacked or stolen information or “participate, aide, or encourage hackers or foreign actors in any attempt to influence American elections.”

The DCCC chairman said Thursday that Stivers was invited to sign onto that pledge. 

“I’m still hopeful – as I was clear in the rollout of our agreement that I signed – that there’s an open invitation and I hope the NRCC will change course and agree to these principles,” Luján said.