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New York's Sanders Delegates Angered by Wikileaks Controversy

Matt Slocum
/
AP
DNC Chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., arrives for a Florida delegation breakfast on Monday in Philadelphia, during the first day of the Democratic National Convention.

The resignation of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz over the release of emails showing that staff favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders overshadowed other news at the beginning of the Democratic National Convention.  

Many of the Sanders delegates are angered by the news that DNC staffers may have stacked the deck against their candidate in favor of Hillary Clinton. Assemblyman Phil Steck is from the Albany area and one of the few elected officials supporting Sanders. He says it’s “great” that Wasserman chultz resigned, but is philosophical about the Wikileaks release. And he says the election is too important to get bogged down in an intraparty fight.  

“Everyone that supported Bernie Sanders knew already that the DNC was trying to finagle these things,” said Steck. “But I don’t think that’s the major issue.”

Steck is supporting Hillary Clinton in the general election, but not all Sanders delagates will be doing so.

The Sanders delegates from New York are holding a special meeting Monday morning. Later they will hear from Bernie Sanders, before the Vermont senator addresses the national convention Monday night.

Karen has covered state government and politics for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 New York and Connecticut stations, since 1990. She is also a regular contributor to the statewide public television program about New York State government, New York Now. She appears on the reporter’s roundtable segment, and interviews newsmakers.