Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg on Monday slammed the Credentials Committee's decision to elevate a procedural challenge to his leadership position as the "first steps to remove me from my position," amid an ongoing intraparty dispute.
"While this vote was based on how the DNC conducted its officers' elections, which I had nothing to do with, it is also impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote," Hogg said, as he described a country "in crisis" and a Democratic Party "asleep at the wheel."
Hogg last month ignited a firestorm at the DNC by pledging to shell out $20 million through his outside political group, Leaders We Deserve, to support primary-challenges against some older Democrats in blue districts.
"I ran to be DNC Vice Chair to help make the Democratic Party better, not to defend an indefensible status quo that has caused voters in almost every demographic group to move away from us. The DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort," Hogg said after the DNC Credentials Committee voted on Monday to elevate a vote challenging the vice chairs' leadership positions.
DAVID HOGG FACES CHALLENGE TO DNC ROLE AS PARTY TENSIONS ESCALATE
Kalyn Free, a longtime Democratic Party activist, submitted a complaint following the DNC's Feb. 1 officer elections, in which Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta were elected vice chairs. Free alleged in her complaint that the DNC's tabulation method violated the charter's provision and parliamentary procedure and "discriminated against three women of color candidates."
"I am disappointed to learn that before I became Chair, there was a procedural error in the February Vice Chair elections. The Credentials Committee has issued their recommendation, and I trust that the DNC Members will carefully review the Committee's resolution and resolve this matter fairly," DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement following the credentials vote.
DEMOCRATS' VICE CHAIR GETS ULTIMATUM: STAY NEUTRAL IN PRIMARIES OR STEP DOWN FROM PARTY LEADERSHIP
The Credentials Committee on Monday found the Feb. 1 election violated parliamentary procedure and voted to recommend the DNC conduct a new election for the two vice-chair positions currently held by Kenyatta and Hogg. The full DNC will now have an opportunity to vote, and if approved, will conduct a re-election.
One vice-chair position may be filled by a male and one may be a candidate of any gender, according to the DNC. If the DNC goes through with a re-vote, only the candidates who were eligible for the third ballot during the Feb. 1 election will qualify, which includes Kenyatta, Hogg, Free, Jeanna Repass and Shasti Conrad.
While Free's complaint was filed before Hogg stirred up DNC division for his brutal plan to primary incumbent Democrats in deep blue districts, the fallout is the latest blow to the young Democratic leader.
Hogg, the 25-year-old survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, drew sharp attention by spending money against fellow Democrats-a move a DNC official called unprecedented. The action deepened internal party tensions that have simmered since President Donald Trump's decisive election last November.
Soon after, Martin affirmed that the DNC would stay neutral in intraparty primaries, giving Hogg the ultimatum to either rescind his vice-chair position or forego his political influence via his PAC. Now, Hogg is framing the DNC's vote as an expedited plan to remove him as vice chair.
But DNC officials, past and present, said the procedural vote has nothing to do with Hogg personally.
"This is not about David Hogg, despite what he's saying. It is gender balance.... It's in the rules that the officers need to be balanced between men and women. The full DNC now gets to vote again. If they like what Hogg is doing then that's great, and he'll be re-elected. It was disingenuous to not reveal his intentions the first time before they voted. While it has nothing to do with him, it's an elected position so now we'll find out if the party supports it or not, which they very well may," a former DNC official told Fox News Digital.
An additional former DNC official added in a statement to Fox News Digital that "either Hogg is wrong and misled members or they think he's doing the right thing. Either way, it'll be settled. And he can't complain. A re-vote is not forcing him out, there are other ways to do that if they chose to."
And a current DNC committee member, who also asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News that "the credentials committee vote was an open transparent process that was done fairly and led to the decision to propose another election for the two vice chairs whose elections were being challenged."
While many did not agree with moving forward with the challenge, that is what the majority of the committee decided. It will now be put in front of the full DNC and the final decision will come then.
Kenyatta, in a series of social media posts, said "any reporter covering this as party retribution against David is full of s---. It is unfortunate as I believe we both won fairly & there is no charge that we acted improperly."
"However, any story about this that neatly places this into a narrative about David Hogg is wrong. I worked my a-- off to get this role and have done the job every day since I've held it. This story is complex, and I'm frustrated - but it's not about @davidhogg111. Even though he clearly wants it to be," Kenyatta said in a jab to his fellow vice chair facing potential re-election.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Free said the Credentials Committee lived up to the DNC's reputation as "the party of free and fair elections" on Monday, and proved that "protecting democracy is more important than saving face."
"This was never about Malcolm Kenyatta or David Hogg," Free said. "For me, this was about ensuring that the Democratic Party lives up to our ideals as the only political party to believe in and stand up for election integrity and a free and fair democracy."
The move by the DNC panel comes as the party's base is angry and energized in fighting back against Trump's sweeping and controversial moves since returning to the White House three months ago. That anger is directed not only at Trump and Republicans, but also at Democrats. Many in the party's base feel they haven't been effective or vocal enough in pushing back against the president.
But while Democrats are increasingly energized to resist Trump, a slew of national polls this year indicated the favorability ratings of the Democratic Party sinking to all-time lows.
