Bernie Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver slammed Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. [crscore]Debbie Wasserman Schultz[/crscore] for “working against” Sanders for “personal reasons.”
Appearing on “MSNBC Live” with Steve Kornacki on Wednesday, Weaver said, “It’s been clear there is a pattern of conduct from the beginning of this campaign that has been hostile to Bernie Sanders and his supporters and really she’s become a divisive figure in the party.” (VIDEO: MSNBC’s Brzezinski Calls For Wasserman Schultz To Resign)
Weaver teed off on the Florida representative after Wasserman Schultz’s argued on Tuesday night, “There is a way to deal with frustration over process. But the fact that the Sanders campaign has issued a ‘but’ in between condemnation of violence and frustration over the process seems to excuse their supporters actions, which is unacceptable.” (RELATED: Rep. [crscore]Tulsi Gabbard[/crscore] Resigns From DNC, Endorses Sanders [VIDEO])
“It’s ridiculous, frankly. Bernie Sanders made it very clear before the convention that he wanted people to act civilly. He made it clear after the convention that he condemned any threats that went on.”
Weaver then said it has been “pretty clear” from the beginning that Wasserman Schultz “has been working against Bernie Sanders. I mean, there’s not doubt about it, for personal reasons. Whether it’s that debate schedule that we had, that very confined debate schedule that we had with debates scheduled on weekends where no one was watching, whether it was this joint fundraising agreement that they have with the Hillary Clinton campaign, which is taking money out of state parties, whether it’s the standing committees where they have appointed really hostile Hillary Clinton partisans to head these committees at the convention. I mean, Debbie Wasserman Schultz has really been a divider and not really provided the kind of leadership that the Democratic Party needs.” (VIDEO: Even Rachel Maddow Is Trashing The Democratic Party’s ‘Ugly’ Chaos)
When asked what he meant by “personal reasons,” Weaver said, “Well, I just think if you talk to other high-ranking Democrats at the Democratic National Committee, which I do with some frequency, I would say that there’s not unanimity in terms of her tactics and her responses throughout this campaign.”
“I mean if you think back to the issue where they shut off Sen. Sanders access to his data shortly before the Iowa caucuses, I mean that was a unilateral action taken on her part,” Weaver said. “Believe me, there was tremendous pressure inside the party structure for her to relent.”
“You think she is greasing the skids for Hillary Clinton,” Kornaki asked.
“I don’t really know what her motivation is,” Weaver said.
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard resigned from her position as vice chair of the DNC to support Sanders. She repeatedly sparred with Wasserman Schultz for months over the limited Democratic presidential debate schedule. (RELATED: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Banned From Democratic Debate)