Bernie Sanders’ Fired Data Director Explains What Happened With DNC Data Breach (Video)
Bernie Sanders has fired his data director over inappropriate access of Hillary Clinton’s data. The Sanders campaign is accusing the DNC of “theft.”
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The Bernie Sanders campaign today is in a whirlwind. It fired its data director after learning he and possibly other staffers inappropriately accessed a portion of the DNC database that contained information about Hillary Clinton supporters. Campaign manager Jeff Weaver in a press conference earlier today blamed the breach on the company that provides the software.
Upon learning of the breach, the DNC took action against the Sanders’ campaign by revoking their access to the valuable DNC voter files, making it literally impossible for the campaign to fundraise or contact supporters.
Weaver threatened to go to federal court to demand an injunction against the DNC if they did not allow access to the database today.
In an exclusive interview with MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki, now-former Sanders data director Josh Uretsky explained what this all means, and what actions he took and why, according to him.
Uretsky said he and other Sanders staffers “wanted to document and understand the scope of the problem so that we could report it accurately,” and so that we could ensure that “we weren’t crying wolf.”
A longtime political staffer hired a few months ago by the Sanders’ campaign, Uretsky said he “knew that what we were doing was trackable” and insisted they did not “use it for anything valuable.”
He also said that because they could access Clinton’s data, “we had to assume that our data was equally exposed.”
Kornacki, attempting to understand what happened, confronted Uretsky, saying:
“If you went into her voter files, if you searched them, if you copied information from them, it basically sounds like you are telling me you are committing, crime is a strong word here, but you are committing the misdeed to prove it’s possible to commit the misdeed.”Â
NEW:Â Breaking: Bernie Sanders Sues DNC
But Uretsky offered a different point of view:
“Somebody leaves the front door open and you left a note inside the front door saying you left the door open. And then maybe you went and checked the side door, too, to make sure that door was closed.”
Watch:
Josh Uretsky, the now ex-Sanders staffer fired over the voter database breach, just did this interview with me: https://t.co/9qppznUpRa
— Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) December 18, 2015
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Image via Facebook
Hat tip: Talking Points Memo, Heavy
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