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Jeff Weaver: Tom Perez Must Push for DNC Reforms for People to 'Have Renewed Confidence'

November 3, 2017

Jeff Weaver, who served as Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I., Vt.) campaign manager during the 2016 Democratic primary, said Friday that Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez must support reforms at the DNC if he wants people to have "renewed confidence" in the party.

Politico Magazine on Thursday published an excerpt from former DNC interim chairwoman Donna Brazile's upcoming book that reveals the DNC was having severe financial troubles when she took over after the Democratic National Convention last year, and that she discovered her predecessor, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), struck a deal with the Clinton campaign to oversee DNC spending.

Weaver called the revelation "maddening" for millions of people, including himself, because they thought the political process was supposed to be fair.

"What we've got to do now—there is a Unit Reform Commission that was created at the [Democratic National] Convention that has members appointed by Bernie, Hillary Clinton, and some by Tom Perez, the DNC chair. Our final meeting is at the beginning of December," Weaver said. "We're going to vote on a number of reform proposals and now is the time for Tom Perez and the DNC to state, without reservation, that they are going to support the outcome of this commission."

Weaver said that he is hopeful they can bring about changes so conspiring never happens again, prompting MSNBC host Hallie Jackson to ask Weaver whether he thinks Perez is in trouble.

"We'll see. Tom Perez obviously was not there when this was going on at the DNC, but there are going to be a series of reforms," Weaver said. "And if Tom Perez steps up and pushes those reforms and advocates for them both privately and publicly during this process, I think a lot of people will have renewed confidence in Tom Perez."

"If he doesn't, I think that's a terrible statement," Weaver added.