"Was it too male? Yes. Was it too white? Yes." Jeff Weaver, Bernie Sanders's top adviser

[ehrnst]

“I did experience sexual harassment during the campaign, and there was no one who would or could help,” said Samantha Davis, the former director of operations in Texas and New York, who also worked on the campaign’s advance team. She said that her supervisor marginalized her after she declined an invitation to his hotel room.

In interviews, women told of makeshift living accommodations on the road, where they were asked to sleep in rooms along with male co-workers they didn’t know. Women who had access to salary records were taken aback to learn that some female staff members made thousands of dollars less than their male counterparts.

...........................................

“There was an entire wave of rotten sexual harassment that seemingly was never dealt with,” one of the delegates wrote in a December email, obtained by The New York Times, to a Sanders political strategist.

Jeff Weaver, Mr. Sanders’s 2016 campaign manager and currently a top adviser, said in an email that “anybody who committed harassment on the campaign would not be asked back” and expressed regret for the operation’s shortcomings.

............................................

Ms. Slamen quit the organization at the end of 2016 after she said she was berated by a male member of the Our Revolution steering committee for suggesting an organizing plan. In emails reviewed by The Times, she raised issues about sexist behavior with committee members who saw the incident and Our Revolution’s national board of directors. She said she received no reassurance that anything would change.
...........................................

Ms. Di Lauro, the former strategist in Nevada, was emphatic in her own Facebook posts. “I have to speak up about this now because I hope it will be of service to the next Sanders campaign,” she wrote on Dec. 7 [2018]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/us/politics/bernie-sanders-campaign-sexism.html

(Not re-fighting the 2016 primary. These are new revelations concerning campaign staffers, by campaign staffers in an effort to create a better future run for POTUS, and not implicating Senator Sanders himself.)

[Demsrule86]

1. This is terrible.

[ehrnst]

2. Sunlight is neccessary before anything can really change. (nt)

[Blue_Tires]

3. It's funny because I remember this being the same Weaver

who infamously boasted that Sanders could cede all the black voters to Hillary and *STILL* win...

It was then that I knew once and for all that Sanders was putting his political career in the hands of some loudmouth dilettantes.

[Paladin]

15. I encountered some of those "loudmouthed dilettantes" here at DU.

Way too many of them, actually. It was a pleasure to bid them farewell.

[calimary]

20. So did I. Against me a little, but against others a WHOLE LOT more.

Not gonna forget that.

[ehrnst]

4. Sanders 2016 campaign alumni are calling for a meeting

“This letter is just a start,” said one of the organizers who declined to be named. “We are addressing what happened on the Bernie campaign, but as people that work in this space we see that all campaigns are extremely dangerous to women and marginalized people and we are attempting to fix that.”

People involved in the effort said they signed the letter before Sanders (I-Vt.) officially launches a 2020 presidential bid in the hope that it would lead to real action if and when the senator begins assembling his team. Organizers wrote they wanted the meeting to produce a plan for “implementing concrete sexual harassment policies and procedures; and a commitment to hiring diverse leadership to pre-empt the possibility of replicating the predatory culture from the first presidential campaign.”

The signees range from field organizers to some of the top officials on the 2016 campaign, according to multiple people involved in the effort. Some of the signees do not expect to join any 2020 campaign, while others are open to joining a potential Sanders 2020 bid.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/30/bernie-sanders-campaign-harassment-1077014

[SidDithers]

5. DU rec...nt

Sid

[George II]

6. Despite the protestations and rationalizations, that was not his first campaign.

Anderson Cooper's interview last night was quite illuminating.

[ehrnst]

11. Do you have a link to the Cooper interview?

I don't have cable.

[George II]

14. Here you go. At least once he said "I was very busy", but as I mentioned...

That wasn't his first campaign - he served 8 terms in the House, is now in his third term in the Senate, not to mention the several terms as mayor of Burlington. Probably about 20 campaigns total.

[ehrnst]

23. Imagine if HRC had said:

"I had no idea that sexual harassment was being experienced by many on my campaign. I was busy."

I also assume that he had no idea about the gender pay inequity in the campaign.

I think many who are dismissing this would have stated that it was a non-starter for a POTUS nominee who ran on income inequality and social justice.

[mcar]

41. Didn't he criticize HRC for not knowing enough

about Russian interference? Guess he thinks she wasn't "too busy."

[Fullduplexxx]

7. Hmmmm kr

Kr

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. If only the men and women had been paid the same; economic equality would have made all the problems

go away! Maybe the men felt insecure because they were paid more, and had to act out. Huh.

[ehrnst]

16. Apparently gender economic equality isn't as vital when comes to the

financing a noble cause.

Other things are clearly less tolerable in those circumstances. Until someone brings it up.

"Ms. Davis, the former state director, said that she was originally paid about $2,400 a month as a senior staff member and saw in the campaign’s records that a younger man who was originally supposed to report to her made $5,000 a month. She said that she brought the issue to the campaign’s chief operating officer, who adjusted her salary to achieve parity."

[Nitram]

25. WhiskeyGrinder, that kind of flip, cavalier reaction to serious issues is not helpful.

[Gothmog]

9. I love the fact that the press is vetting candidates

[ehrnst]

10. Along with his own staffers. (nt)

[Aristus]

12. This will no doubt inspire the BernieBots to frantically return to: "HILLARY! WALL STREET!

UNLIKEABLE!"

[ehrnst]

13. Already happening here on DU - along with whataboutism concerning Kamala...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2234999


https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2235013

[BannonsLiver]

42. The second one

Is always spouting off about civil asset forfeiture issues with Harris which is an issue straight out of the libertarian fever swamp.

[George II]

30. Someone last night already pointed out that ONE staffer who was reassigned and eventually....

....was released or quit (forget which now) At least he was reassigned immediately, didn't wait a while to address the situation (like two years?)

Regardless, as I learned when I was a little boy, "two wrongs don't make a right."

Regardless part two, as noted in that letter is that there was a "CULTURE" of harassment and abuse in the campaign, not one or two isolated cases.

[Tom Rinaldo]

17. Glad to see that Weaver didn't simply duck this

These are highly credible accusations and they must be further addressed. Lots can go wrong with a national campaign built from scratch at an astonishing rate of growth, as happened with the Sanders campaign in 2016. That doesn't excuse any wrong doing that is unearthed nor inadequate oversight, even if a certain amount of the latter is somewhat understandable - with the bright exception of any cover ups or the ignoring of issues brought to their attention. If Sanders runs again his organization must now be exemplary on these fronts, he no longer is a rookie at playing on a national stage.

[ehrnst]

26. Tad Devine was no rookie to national campaigns.

Nor would any amount of "inadequate oversight" concerning this:

“There was an entire wave of rotten sexual harassment that seemingly was never dealt with,” one of the delegates wrote in a December email, obtained by The New York Times, to a Sanders political strategist.

have been acceptable in either of HRC's campaigns. Nor would have gender pay inequity.

And HRC saying that she didn't know anything about it because she "was busy," would have been a dealbreaker for her candidacy, running on social and economic justice issues, in the eyes of many that are dismissing this.

Yes, these people asking for a meeting with Weaver are indeed credible....

“This letter is just a start,” said one of the organizers who declined to be named. “We are addressing what happened on the Bernie campaign, but as people that work in this space we see that all campaigns are extremely dangerous to women and marginalized people and we are attempting to fix that.”

People involved in the effort said they signed the letter before Sanders (I-Vt.) officially launches a 2020 presidential bid in the hope that it would lead to real action if and when the senator begins assembling his team. Organizers wrote they wanted the meeting to produce a plan for “implementing concrete sexual harassment policies and procedures; and a commitment to hiring diverse leadership to pre-empt the possibility of replicating the predatory culture from the first presidential campaign.”

The signees range from field organizers to some of the top officials on the 2016 campaign, according to multiple people involved in the effort. Some of the signees do not expect to join any 2020 campaign, while others are open to joining a potential Sanders 2020 bid.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/30/bernie-sanders-campaign-harassment-1077014

[George II]

32. Prior to then Sanders was involved in about 20 campaigns, he was no rookie in 2016.

[Tom Rinaldo]

35. Vermont is one of the least populated states in the Union

Yes, he had a lot of practice running campaigns in a small, rural, not very diverse state where he likely knew all of the County chairs of the Vermont Democratic Party on a first name basis for years. I didn't say he was a rookie at politics, I said he was a rookie at running a heated national campaign, one that metaphorically went from 0 to 60 over night.

[ehrnst]

37. Again... Tad Devine was no rookie to national campaigns. Bernie hired him in 2006 & 2012

for Senate runs.

Bernie obviously felt a need for a lot of experience running national campaigns by someone with experience here and abroad, even in a small, nearly completely white, rural state.

[Tom Rinaldo]

40. Probably a wise move. Devine was Kerry's man and thus came seemingly vetted.

The Senate is a step up from being in the House. Having one person, or even a few, with prior national campaign experience on board is not the same as being a major player oneself on the national stage, with all of the national connections that come with that.

Respectfully (honestly) I have nothing more to add to this thread. I acknowledge that the Sanders team has serious issues to address. For a few years starting in 2004 I was in correspondence with Donna Brazile. She had some stories to tell about how white and male dominated national political campaigns, even Democratic ones, tend to be. A progressive running for President should do better than that. If he runs again, Sanders has to do better in order to retain any credibility.

[getagrip_already]

18. So it reflected what bs wanted......

He didn't want woman or minorities. He still doesn't.

[MrsCoffee]

19. Not to mention endorsing people like Heath Mello.

Sorry, but Bernie is not the progressive savior he is made out to be.

[DownriverDem]

21. Well I will bring up 2016

Bernie Sanders is not a member of the Democratic Party. He joined the Democratic Party just so he could run as a Democrat. He should have never been allowed to run in the Democratic Primaries or caucuses. That is major with not only me, but a lot of other Democrats. Of course if he runs as an independent, he hands the election to the repubs.
Is that what Bernie supporters want?

[ismnotwasm]

22. Sexism and Racism

This is what happens when they are dismissed as “identity politics”

[ehrnst]

24. Yep.

[Me.]

27. And....Pay Inequity

Can you believe it? This part of the campaign is not being discussed but is part of the complaint.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211618577

[ehrnst]

29. "Economic injustice" or just "identity politics?" (nt)

[Me.]

39. 6 Of One Half Dozen Of The Other

Either way, it's a hypocrisy

[ZeroSomeBrains]

28. Very important story

Something similar happened here in Mike Madigan's office where Madigan didn't do enough to allow for an enivornment where everyone could reliably, confidentially and safely report harassment and had to fire two individuals in his office. As time goes by more organizations should be able to adapt and create a more open environment to report abuse. As an assault survivor myself such allegations are abhorrent and it is incredibly important to change the culture so that in the future these cases are better dealt with.

[sheshe2]

31. K&R

[KitSileya]

33. Jeff Weaver is lying

Jeff Weaver, Mr. Sanders’s 2016 campaign manager and currently a top adviser, said in an email that “anybody who committed harassment on the campaign would not be asked back” and expressed regret for the operation’s shortcomings.

Except Arturo Carmona literally snagged an invite to Bernie's The Gathering after being accused of sexual harassment.

[ehrnst]

34. Arturo Carmona was at The Gathering???

Even after all the revelations early in 2017 about him?

[KitSileya]

36. Yup. He personally go invited by Jane Sanders.

https://medium.com/mashamendieta/be-your-own-hero-because-bernie-is-not-it-c4add2e08029

Yes, before I ever even came out publicly about Arturo Carmona, Bernie did know. He knew everything. He heard the whole sordid tale and still considered endorsing Arturo. And when asked by the press about it after I came out, he feigned ignorance and still refused to condemn him. Is that the reaction you expect from a hero? Many of you asked me what Bernie had to say, assuming him or someone from his team obviously would have reached out to me after the story broke. No, he did not and they did not. It was crickets. And lest you think it some inflated sense of self, how would you react if you were a politician and this story emerged about your own campaign (that is, if you are a feminist)? I would’ve immediately picked up the phone, reached out, apologized, soothed, promised to investigate, something, anything. But Bernie (and his team) did nothing. Instead, I got blacklisted.

...

Second, I bring this up now even though this has been a year in the making because, last week, Arturo Carmona made a splashing public reappearance — at the Sanders Institute event, by personal invitation from Jane Sanders. I can’t express the heartbreak that caused. The tiny thread in me that still clung to hope that Bernie and Jane were somehow miraculously sheltered from the gross sexist machinations of the campaign completely snapped. The behind-the-scenes brouhaha that ensued after people saw Arturo at the event led to swift spin doctoring. Apparently, Arturo called up Jane personally, because she still takes his calls, and asked for an invitation to the event. He wasn’t on the list, so she told him to show up anyway. Bernie was supposedly then surprised to see Arturo at the event — and here’s the kicker — but he said nothing. He saw Arturo schmoozing and taking selfies with Jane, but he stayed silent. Not only is Arturo a sexist, but he was also arrested for embezzlement. Again I ask you, is this how a hero would act? If an outed (by more than a dozen people) misogynist showed up to your private event that is essentially the grooming ground for the future leaders of your movement, would you just shrug and stay silent? I wouldn’t. And I hope you wouldn’t either. So why do I already hear the internet making excuses for Bernie? Why do we accept the mistreatment of women in a way we never would for other oppressed groups? If this story was about a racist who had called me a “spic” instead, how would you react differently? I’ll tell you. You would lose your collective shits. But again, it’s just women, right? We’re supposed to shut up and deal with it and be polite while we’re at it.

[ehrnst]

38. I believe that it was Jane that said Weaver should be running things in OR

even though most of the rest of the staff said that they would work for OR on the condition that Weaver not be a part of it.

I think that there are some people that believe certain rules/standards apply to everyone else, but not themselves.

[Cha]

46. ".. anybody" Except Arthur Carmona at The Gathering.

[Hekate]

43. We were told it was identity politics to want to talk about women's issues...

That is a flaming red flag that someone does not get it at all. A man saying he is blind to gender and blind to color -- means he is blind.

[WeekiWater]

44. Weaver was closer to the "action" than Sanders.

Weaver won’t come out looking good. If he does to you in the first place.

[ehrnst]

45. Well, there's Jane.

Carmona makes it clear she (not Bernie) invited him. Sanders backed out of endorsing him for his 2017 run, which Carmona dropped out in March 2017 of because of "health reasons" after the allegations about his harassment during 2016 came out.

[Cha]

47. What was she thinking?

[NurseJackie]

48. I'm inclined to believe those who were there, in person, on the front lines.

I'm inclined to believe those who were there, in person, on the front lines. It's difficult for me to accept the claim that these are lies that are being concocted and exaggerated for the sole purpose of harming a particular politician. These were, after all, individuals who actually supported that politician. All I'm trying to say here is that I'm happy to see that their sense of right-and-wrong takes priority over any sort of "loyalty" to one individual.