Subject: Re: FOR REVIEW: DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter
From: "Paustenbach, Mark" <[email-masked]>
To: "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]>, Debbie Wasserman Schultz <[email-masked]>, "Banfill, Ryan" <[email-masked]>, Tracie Pough <[email-masked]>, "Dacey, Amy" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 May 2016 14:23:48 -0700

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/17/politics/bernie-sanders-nevada-democrats/index.html

Speaking with CNN's Manu Raju Tuesday afternoon, Reid angrily responded to Sanders' statement, saying he thought the Vermont senator would have handled the matter differently.

"Bernie should say something -- not have some silly statement. Bernie is better than that. Bernie should say something -- not have some statement someone else prepared for him," Reid said. "I'm surprised by his statement. I thought he was going to do something different."

Mark Paustenbach
National Press Secretary &
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202.863.8148
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

On May 17, 2016, at 3:06 PM, Paustenbach, Mark <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Text version:

May 16, 2016
Contact: Michael Briggs (802) 233-8653

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday issued the following statement:

“It is imperative that the Democratic leadership, both nationally and in the states, understand that the political world is changing and that millions of Americans are outraged  at establishment politics and establishment economics.  The people of this country want a government which represents all of us, not just the 1 percent, super PACs and wealthy campaign contributors.

“The Democratic Party has a choice.  It can open its doors and welcome into the party people who are prepared to fight for real economic and social change – people who are willing to take on Wall Street, corporate greed and a fossil fuel industry which is destroying this planet.  Or the party can choose to maintain its status quo, remain dependent on big-money campaign contributions and be a party with limited participation and limited energy.

“Within the last few days there have been a number of criticisms made against my campaign organization.  Party leaders in Nevada, for example, claim that the Sanders campaign has a ‘penchant for violence.’  That is nonsense.  Our campaign has held giant rallies all across this country, including in high crime areas, and there have been zero reports of violence.   Our campaign of course believes in non-violent change and it goes without saying that I condemn any and all forms of violence, including the personal harassment of individuals. But, when we speak of violence, I should add here that months ago, during the Nevada campaign, shots were fired into my campaign office in Nevada and an apartment housing my campaign staff was broken into and ransacked.

“If the Democratic Party is to be successful in November, it is imperative that all state parties treat our campaign supporters with fairness and the respect that they have earned. I am happy to say that has been the case at state conventions in Maine, Alaska, Colorado and Hawaii where good discussions were held and democratic decisions were reached. Unfortunately, that was not the case at the Nevada convention. At that convention the Democratic leadership used its power to prevent a fair and transparent process from taking place.  Among other things:

•       The chair of the convention announced that the convention rules passed on voice vote, when the vote was a clear no-vote. At the very least, the Chair should have allowed for a headcount.

•       The chair allowed its Credentials Committee to en mass rule that 64 delegates were ineligible without offering an opportunity for 58 of them to be heard.  That decision enabled the Clinton campaign to end up with a 30-vote majority.

•       The chair refused to acknowledge any motions made from the floor or allow votes on them.

•       The chair refused to accept any petitions for amendments to the rules that were properly submitted.

These are on top of failures at the precinct and county conventions including trying to depose and then threaten with arrest the Clark County convention credentials chair because she was operating too fairly.

Mark Paustenbach
National Press Secretary &
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
W: 202.863.8148
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

From: Miranda, Luis
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 3:04 PM
To: Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Banfill, Ryan; Tracie Pough; Paustenbach, Mark; Dacey, Amy
Subject: RE: FOR REVIEW: DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter

Sanders statement…looking for text version…

<http://www.democrats.org/>Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 – [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> - @MiraLuisDC<https://www.twitter.com/MiraLuisDC>

From: Debbie Wasserman Schultz [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 2:03 PM
To: Banfill, Ryan; Miranda, Luis; Tracie Pough; Paustenbach, Mark; Dacey, Amy
Subject: Re: FOR REVIEW: DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter

Thanks.

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: Banfill, Ryan
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 2:02 PM
To: Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Miranda, Luis; Tracie Pough; Paustenbach, Mark; Dacey, Amy
Subject: RE: FOR REVIEW: DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter

The statement has been released based on previous note. The double “and” was corrected.

From: Debbie Wasserman Schultz [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 1:58 PM
To: Miranda, Luis; Tracie Pough; Paustenbach, Mark; Banfill, Ryan; Dacey, Amy
Subject: Re: FOR REVIEW: DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter

I edited it to make part of the first one stronger, FYI.

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: Miranda, Luis
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 1:52 PM
To: Tracie Pough; Paustenbach, Mark; Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Banfill, Ryan; Dacey, Amy
Subject: RE: FOR REVIEW: DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter

Ok. The first one is still strong so given the external dynamics, going with the more measured tone in the first is fine.

Sent via the Samsung GALAXY S®4, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: Tracie Pough <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: 05/17/2016 13:31 (GMT-05:00)
To: "Paustenbach, Mark" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Debbie Wasserman Schultz <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "Banfill, Ryan" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "Dacey, Amy" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: RE: FOR REVIEW: DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter
The second statement will make this go on longer and open DWS and the DNC up for more criticism.

From: Paustenbach, Mark
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 1:19 PM
To: Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Miranda, Luis; Banfill, Ryan; Tracie Pough; Dacey, Amy
Subject: FOR REVIEW: DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter

The main difference between the two statements is the portion in yellow in the second one.

VERSION 1: MEASURED

For Immediate Release
May 17, 2016

Contact: DNC Press – 202-863-8148

DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter

WASHINGTON – DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz today issued the following statement on a letter from the Nevada Democratic Party regarding threatening and violent behavior among some participants around their state party convention this weekend:

“We are deeply concerned about the troubling details laid out in the letter from the Nevada Democratic Party. We will be reaching out to the leadership of both of our campaigns to ask them to stand with the Democratic Party in denouncing the type of behavior on display over the weekend in Las Vegas. Our democracy is undermined any time threats, intimidation, physical violence or damage to property are present. If there are legitimate concerns, they must be addressed in an orderly, civil and peaceful manner.

“The rules governing the Democratic Party delegate selection process have been in place for decades and the specific procedures for this cycle were agreed upon in 2014. In Nevada on Saturday, the state party’s credentials committee was made up of an equal number of members representing both campaigns. That’s a testament to our party’s fundamental belief in being inclusive, open to the public, and transparent. The process for nominating a Democratic Presidential candidate is not something taken lightly, it is a four-year endeavor that is closely scrutinized and determined in public forums, just as it has been in past election cycles. There is no excuse for what happened in Nevada, and it is incumbent upon all of us in positions of leadership to speak out.”

###

VERSION 2: FORTHRIGHT AND THOUGHTFUL

For Immediate Release
May 17, 2016

Contact: DNC Press – 202-863-8148

DNC Statement on Nevada Democratic Party Letter

WASHINGTON – DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz today issued the following statement on a letter from the Nevada Democratic Party regarding threatening and violent behavior among some participants around their state party convention this weekend:

“We are deeply concerned about the troubling details laid out in the letter from the Nevada Democratic Party. We will be reaching out to the leadership of both of our campaigns to ask them to stand with the Democratic Party in denouncing the type of behavior on display over the weekend in Las Vegas. Our democracy is undermined any time threats, intimidation, physical violence or damage to property are present. If there are legitimate concerns, they must be addressed in an orderly, civil and peaceful manner.

“We are also asking both campaigns to be forthright and thoughtful in their characterization of the primary process. The rules governing the Democratic Party delegate selection process have been in place for decades and the specific procedures for this cycle were agreed upon in 2014. In Nevada on Saturday, the state party’s credentials committee was made up of an equal number of members representing both campaigns. That’s a testament to our fundamental belief in being inclusive, open to the public, and transparent. The process for nominating a Democratic Presidential candidate is not something taken lightly, it is a four-year endeavor that is closely scrutinized and determined in public forums just as it has been in past election cycles. There is no excuse for what happened in Nevada, and it is incumbent upon all of us in positions of leadership to speak out.”

###