Hacked emails posted by WikiLeaks took down Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in July, and now they’re threatening her replacement, Donna Brazile. CNN announced on Monday that it’s dropped Brazile as a commentator after it was revealed that the longtime Democratic strategist shared a primary debate question with Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Three weeks ago, a message purportedly from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta appeared to show Brazile forwarding a question from a CNN/TV One town-hall debate in March. “From time to time I get the questions in advance,” Brazile wrote to Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri a day before the event.
At the time, Brazile claimed she offered advice to all Democratic presidential candidates, but insisted that she’s never shared questions from an actual debate. “As it pertains to the CNN Debates, I never had access to questions and would never have shared them with the candidates if I did,” she said.
Emails leaked on Monday suggest otherwise. Politico reports that in an email sent a day before the March 6 debate in Flint, Michigan, Brazile told Palmieri and Podesta, “One of the questions directed to HRC tomorrow is from a woman with a rash. Her family has lead poison and she will ask what, if anything, will Hillary do as president to help the ppl of Flint.”
CNN and ABC temporarily suspended their contracts with Brazile when she became interim DNC chair. Brazile was expected to resume her role as commentator after the election, but on Monday CNN revealed that they accepted her resignation on October 14, days after the report about the town-hall question.
“CNN never gave Brazile access to any questions, prep material, attendee list, background information or meetings in advance of a town hall or debate,” said CNN spokeswoman Lauren Pratapas. “We are completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor.”
Following the announcement Brazile tweeted: