Debbie Wasserman Schultz "deserves" to be included in this week's Democratic National Convention despite the controversy that led her to agree over the weekend to step down as party chairman, Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Donna Brazile said Monday.
"Debbie has spent a lot of time and effort in pulling together this convention," Brazile, who will step in to take over Schultz's duties, told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on the "
Good Morning America" program. "She deserves an opportunity to gavel us in, turn over to the permanent chair and she deserves an opportunity, I think, to also close us out."
Schultz, a South Florida congresswoman, said she'd step down after this week's convention ends in Philadelphia, despite the release of thousands of DNC emails that appear to show the party was working on ways to boost Hillary Clinton's campaign over Bernie Sanders.
One of the more controversial emails included a discussion of whether Sanders is Jewish or an atheist, which Clinton on Sunday called "unacceptable" while telling CBS' "
60 Minutes" program that she had not read the leaked documents.
Schultz's role at the party's convention this week will be severely limited, and she will not take the stage to give her planned speech.
On Monday, Brazile apologized for the email controversy while urging Democrats to unite behind Clinton. Sanders himself will take the stage Monday night, as will first lady Michelle Obama, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who will be the keynote speaker.
"[Hillary Clinton's] campaign and her message this week is that we’re stronger together, we can solve our problems, we can begin to project a better country with a better future for everybody and tonight we begin that conversation, said Brazile.
Meanwhile, Brazile insisted that Clinton defeated Sanders "fair and square," not because of the actions of the DNC, as "she won the most votes, the most delegates and of course the most states,” she said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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