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Outcry from Sanders supporters after leaked DNC 'atheism' emails

By Joe Uchill and Harper Neidig - 07/22/16 03:05 PM EDT
Outcry from Sanders supporters after leaked DNC 'atheism' emails
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Bernie SandersBernie SandersProgressive group frustrated with DNC over transition team Senate Dems introduce bill to rescind Trump border wall, immigration order Top Dems prep for future while out of the spotlight MORE supporters Friday tore into the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on social media after a leaked email appeared to show a DNC official plotting to question Sanders's religion.

The email, written by Chief Financial Officer Brad Marshall and leaked by the DNC hacker Guccifer 2.0 to WikiLeaks, suggests sending a surrogate to ask an unnamed candidate whether that candidate believed in God. 

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The email does not name the Vermont senator, but it talks about a man of “Jewish heritage” Marshall believes to be an atheist. It makes reference to voters in Kentucky and West Virginia, two states that were weeks away from a Democratic primary at the time.

"It might may no difference, but for KY and WVA can we get someone to ask his belief. Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist,” said the email, to other party officials in its entirety. 

Marshall did not respond to a request for comment. But he did tell The Intercept, which first noticed the email, “I do not recall this. I can say it would not have been Sanders. It would probably be about a surrogate.”

The leaked email prompted swift outcry online Friday afternoon. One apparent Sanders supporter tweeted: “HRC folks called Sanders "McCarthyite" & ranted about purity while DNC plotted to smear him as godless commie Jew.”

Tags Bernie Sanders Ted Cruz