Clinton campaign: Bernie Sanders is delaying scheduling New York debate
NEW YORK-- Hillary Clinton's campaign said Saturday that it has suggested three potential dates foran additional Democratic debate in New York, but all of those dates were rejected by Bernie Sanders and his aides.
"The Sanders campaign needs to stop with the games," said Clinton's national press secretary, Brian Fallon, in a statement.
Sanders' campaign has been publicly challenging Clinton to agree to a debate in New York ahead of the state's primary, which both candidates are eager to win as they compete for the Democratic nomination. According to Fallon, in the past week, the Clinton campaign offered the night of April 4, the night of April 14 and the morning of April 15 as potential dates to meet for a debate.
Past debates this cycle have been nighttime events, but Fallon said the morning option was offered after Sanders agreed to debate on that day on Good Morning America.
"That, too, was rejected," Fallon said.
The night of April 14 and the morning of April 15 are still on the table.
"The Sanders campaign needs to stop using the New York primary as a playground for political games and negative attacks against Hillary Clinton," Fallon said. "The voters of New York deserve better. Senator Sanders and his team should stop the delays and accept a debate on April 14 or the morning of April 15th."
Sanders' campaign shot down the proposed April 4 debate because of a potential conflict with the NCAA's championship game.
"Unfortunately, the dates and venues she has proposed don't make a whole lot of sense," Sanders campaign spokesperson Michael Briggs said in a statement Saturday. "The idea that they want a debate in New York on a night of the NCAA finals -- with Syracuse in the tournament no less -- is ludicrous."
The Sanders campaign added that it has "proposed other dates which they have rejected."
In a tweet Saturday, Fallon said the Clinton campaign had "offered a time" that ensured the debate would end "before tipoff."
@samsteinhp @danmericaCNN We offered a time that would have ensured the debate was ended before tipoff
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) April 2, 2016
CBS News' Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.