A newly-leaked memo from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee offers new insights into how leading Democrats view and discuss Black Lives Matter when no cameras are rolling and the microphones are turned off.
The memo, dated November 19, 2015, is part of a folder that was published early Wednesday morning by hacker Guccifer 2.0. The folder contains information on immigration, Islam and Black Lives Matter.
A memo on Black Lives Matter is stamped “confidential” and includes a mandate (in bold type) that DCCC staff not email or hand it off to “anyone outside of the building. Please only give campaign staff these best practices in meetings or over the phone.”
DCCC Memo on Black Lives Matter, released to the public by Guccifer 2.0
The memo describes Black Lives Matter as a “Radical movement to end ‘anti-black racism.'”
Under a section titled “tactics,” the memo instructs: “If approached by BLM activists, campaign staff should offer to meet with local activists. Invited BLM attendees should be limited. Please aim for personal or small group meetings.” The memo instructs staffers to “Listen to their concerns” but adds, “Don’t offer support for concrete policy positions.”
DCCC memo on Black Lives Matter, released to the public by Guccifer 2.0
“Do not say ‘all lives matter’ nor mention ‘black on black crime,'” reads a section titled “Message.” The memo notes that “This response will garner additional media scrutiny and only anger BLM activists.”
When talking with the media, Democrats are instructed to say that “A history of systemic racism continues to confront the daily lives of African Americans.”
Just two weeks before the memo was written, Hillary Clinton was drowned out by a group of Black Lives Matter protesters while giving a speech. (RELATED: Clinton Shouted Down By Black Lives Matter Protesters)
The hacker claimed the documents came from Nancy Pelosi’s personal computer, a charge denied by Pelosi’s office.
“This attempt by Russia to influence our election has no place in our democracy. In addition, Leader Pelosi does not have a personal computer at the DCCC so no hacked, dumped or doctored documents can be attributed to her computer,” a Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said.
Update: The hacker Guccifer 2.0 claimed that the documents came from Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s personal computer, a fact reflected in an earlier version of this article. This article has been updated to include a statement from Pelosi’s office denying the documents came from her computer.
