The relationship between Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez and his deputy chair, Rep. Keith Ellison (D., Minn.), is very rocky, with "explosive fights" between the two men, according to a new report.
The DNC is plagued with in-fighting between the lingering pro-Hillary Clinton and pro-Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) factions left over from the 2016 presidential campaign, Politico reported Tuesday. One of the sticking points is Sanders' ongoing refusal to hand over his sizable voter data from the primaries.
"Neither side is satisfied, and words like 'crazy,' 'still doesn't get it,' and, in one case, 'Judas' are tossed around to describe people in the opposite camp," Politico reported.
The tension has boiled over to even the highest levels of the party, between Clinton ally Perez and Sanders ally Ellison.
"The relationship between Perez and [Ellison], the former rival whom Perez named deputy chair in an attempt to ease tribal infighting, remains chilly, with periodic explosive fights over party strategy and appointments," Politico noted.
The arguments come despite a joint "unity tour" that Ellison and Perez embarked on in 2017 after the heated DNC chair race. Following Perez's victory, Ellison even appeared in a joint press conference, and then later appeared as Perez's guest at President Donald Trump's first congressional address.
Most of the DNC staff are siding with Perez, according to Politico, especially after his pet projects have increased fundraising, despite "still trailing far behind the Republican National Committee."