Party leaders, Sanders campaign at odds over Nevada convention scuffles
Things are getting messier in Nevada.
After supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters disrupted the Nevada Democrats' state convention over the weekend, booing California Sen. Barbara Boxer and causing security to shut down the event early, Sanders and his campaign are at odds with national Democrats.
On Tuesday, Democratic National Committee Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said there was "no excuse" for the way people acted in Las Vegas, calling on both campaigns -- Sanders' and that of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton -- to denounce the behavior exhibited at the Nevada convention.
"We are deeply concerned about the troubling details laid out in the letter from the Nevada Democratic Party," she said. "We will be reaching out to the leadership of both of our campaigns to ask them to stand with the Democratic Party in denouncing and taking steps to prevent the type of behavior on display over the weekend in Las Vegas."
She also noted that the party's rules for the Democratic primaries, including in Nevada, are clear and have been in place "for decades."
"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," she said. "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."
Sanders initially walked away from reporters' questions about the Nevada situation earlier Tuesday -- then issued a statement asserting that the Nevada Democratic Party did not act fairly.
"At that convention the Democratic leadership used its power to prevent a fair and transparent process from taking place," he said.
He added that it is "nonsense" that his campaign has been responsible for any "violence."
"Within the last few days there have been a number of criticisms made against my campaign organization," Sanders said in the statement. "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."
The Nevada Democratic Party then fired back at Sanders, saying his campaign was "dishonest" about what happened at the state convention.
"We respect and admire Senator Sanders for his values and leadership in the United States Senate, but the Sanders campaign is continuing to be dishonest about what happened Saturday and is failing to adequately denounce the threats of violence of his supporters," the party said in a statement Tuesday evening.