Bernie Sanders in negotiations with DNC to move beyond data breach
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, on Sunday said he is trying to move beyond the data breach that involved a campaign staffer who allegedly accessed Hillary Clinton's voter data.
"We're trying to work with the DNC to put this whole thing behind us," Sanders said on NBC's "Meet the Press" when he was asked to provide an update on the situation. "Right now we're in negotiations with the DNC."
Sanders said he would prefer moving on to discuss income and wealth inequality, climate change and campaign finance issues.
"I think on both sides we'd like to focus on the real issues," he added.
A few days earlier, an anonymous adviser was interviewed by Yahoo News and accused the Democratic National Committee of hypocrisy. The adviser said the staffer who was fired for the breach was recommended by people close to the DNC and the software company that runs the party's voter file.
"It's not as if we conjured this guy Josh from thin air. This is an individual ... who was recommended to us by the DNC and NGP VAN," the adviser told Yahoo.
"I just think it's utter hypocrisy on their part," the adviser said. "I mean here we are being attacked for the behavior of an individual, which we ultimately fired. We agree he acted improperly, but it's just amazing to me that this ... individual that actually caused this trouble in our campaign was recommended by these guys."
The adviser also accused the DNC and the software company of "leaking information" and "stonewalling an investigation."
Sanders apologized to Clinton for the data breach during the last Democratic debate.
