
Democratic Party chair lashes officer in leaked call, prompting more infighting
Months of infighting at the Democratic National Committee escalated into a new round of open warfare Sunday, with several top party officials accusing an embattled member of their leadership team of leaking a portion of a private and emotional meeting.
During a May 15 Zoom meeting, DNC Chair Ken Martin said he had recently questioned whether he wanted to continue in his role and blamed Vice Chair David Hogg for destroying his ability to lead the party, according to a portion of the audio posted by Politico.
After the leaked audio was published Sunday, five of the nine DNC leaders on the Zoom call at the time of the leaked clip closed ranks around Martin and accused Hogg, or people associated with him, of leaking it, in statements and interviews with The Washington Post. None provided evidence for their claims. Hogg denied leaking the audio.
The DNC officials who pointed fingers at Hogg included fellow vice chair Malcolm Kenyatta, who said Hogg 'proves he has no relationship with integrity if he's willing to record and leak private conversations'; Association of State Democratic Committees President Jane Kleeb, who said 'the deliberate leaking of private conversations — by David Hogg and his allies must stop'; and DNC Secretary Jason Rae, who said 'there is no doubt in my mind that David Hogg leaked this recording.'
'Does David Hogg benefit from this? Yes,' said Washington Democratic Chair Shasti Conrad, who would face Hogg if the DNC votes to hold a new election this week.
Martin declined to comment on the source of the leak, but said in a statement about the call that he is not going anywhere and that he took 'this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats.'
Hogg, who is facing a possible ouster this week as part of a separate dispute, denied leaking the audio in a statement posted on X on Sunday afternoon.
'A lot of people are accusing me of leaking this recording. These are the messages from the reporter who wrote the story,' said Hogg, who in his post shared a screenshot showing he did not appear to respond to texts from the reporter who broke the story contacting him for comment.
The open hostilities come as the party debates larger questions over rebuilding its reputation and winning back core voters following a disastrous 2024 election that saw Republicans win the presidency and both chambers of Congress. An April Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that Americans see the Democratic Party as somewhat more out of touch 'with the concerns of most people' than either President Donald Trump or the Republican Party.
The skirmish over the meeting and the leak is the latest in an increasingly bitter fight over Hogg's April announcement that he would back primary challengers to incumbent House Democrats. Some DNC members are uneasy with Hogg serving as a party officer while doing so, concerned that it gives the appearance that the DNC is interfering in primary contests. Martin has said he is committed to introducing a pledge that 'will require all party officers — including myself — to remain neutral in primaries' to 'ensure no party official can abuse their position to tilt the outcome of an election.'
In the May 15 Zoom meeting, Martin said 'I don't know if I want to do this anymore,' and told Hogg 'you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.'
Hogg, a 25-year-old gun-control activist who survived the deadly 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, was elected to his DNC role in February and is the first Gen Z member to serve as a vice chair. In April, he announced a $20 million effort to challenge 'out-of-touch, ineffective' incumbent House Democrats in party primaries, which he has framed as a way to get Democrats into 'fighting shape.' Hogg has said he would only back challengers in safe Democratic districts.
Critics of the effort have called it a distraction and argued that it will divert resources and distract from taking back control of the U.S. House.
Last month a DNC panel found that Hogg and Kenyatta were not properly elected earlier this year, setting off a process that could lead to their ouster. The challenge that prompted those findings, involving the party's gender diversity rules, came before Hogg's announcement that he would get involved in primaries. It was filed by Kalyn Free, an Oklahoma activist who unsuccessfully sought one of the vice chair slots in the Feb. 1 election.
But the primary debate has led some DNC members to view the vote as a convenient way to get rid of Hogg and the drama around him, while others have warned that his removal would send a bad message about the party's unity and outreach to young voters. Hogg, in a statement after the panel's decision, said it is 'impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote.'
On Monday, the DNC will begin an electronic vote on the committee's resolution. If the full body accepts it, new elections will be held for two vice chair positions; if it's rejected, Hogg and Kenyatta will maintain their positions.
The new elections, which would begin later this week, would be limited to the same five candidates who ran in February: Hogg, Kenyatta, Free, Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass and Conrad.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
Some L.A. Protesters Are Marching for Neighbors and Family Members
Some of the people demonstrating in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday said they were first- or second-generation immigrants showing solidarity with their neighbors or family members, and a few expressed anger that their neighbors had received deportation orders. 'This is a real threat, this is not just talk,' said Zander Calderon, 36, a protester from northeast Los Angeles. He said he knew several people who had received such orders, as well as one neighbor who had self deported. 'He didn't want to live in fear,' Mr. Calderon, who wore a poncho with an image of the Virgin Mary and the colors of the Mexican flag, said of the neighbor. Others said that although they were not regular protesters, the federal government's recent immigration raids had motivated them to take action. 'This morning I couldn't stay home anymore,' said Elizabeth Torres, 36, who was carrying a Mexican flag outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday morning, as a crowd of protesters began to swell. 'If the people that are detained can see me through the windows, just know that you're not alone.' Martín Hoecker-Martinez, a physics professor who was waving an American and a Colombian flag, said that he had traveled about an hour and a half to join the protests because he could not stay home in good conscience. 'I'm an American citizen, and I think that one of the greatest points of pride of the United States is that we are a country of immigrants,' said Professor Hoecker-Martinez, whose mother came from Colombia. 'I bristle when people deride the U.S. government as the embodiment of our collective will.' Nicole Garcia, 35, attended the protest with her teenage son. She said that while she worried about the safety risks of bringing him along, she wanted him to understand 'what it looks like when community comes together.' Ms. Garcia, who described herself as Mexican American, was veiled and wore a floral wreath and face paint symbolizing the Mexican Day of the Dead. Brianna Vargas, 24, who was standing on an overpass above the U.S. 101 highway with a megaphone in her hand, said she was protesting for her parents, who had emigrated from Mexico and El Salvador, and for others who were too afraid to leave their homes. Reposting messages of solidarity with victims of immigration enforcement raids on social media is one thing, she said. 'It's different when you're actually here.'


Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
US-China Trade Talks; LA Immigration Clashes Escalate
The US and China are ready to resume trade talks in London today... with the flow of rare earth minerals set to be a key focus; clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators in Los Angeles over anti-deportation protests escalate. President Trump's deployment of the National Guard inflames residents... California's Governor says he will file a law suit to block the federal government's intervention; and Bloomberg learns Meta is in talks to invest in startup Scale AI. The financing may exceed $10 billion, making it one of the largest-ever private company funding deals. (Source: Bloomberg)


Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
US-China Trade Talks Resume In London Today
Good morning. The US and China start another round of trade talks in London today. Los Angeles reels in its third day of anti-deportation protests. And visiting the pyramids is becoming easier. Listen to the day's top stories. US and Chinese negotiators open their second round of tariff talks today in London. Beijing said it's already approved some rare-earth exports, but a key goal for China will be to ease US chip controls. Chinese exports to the US plunged 34.4% in May, the most since 2020.