An Act of Unprecedented Treachery

Today, the DNC filed a complaint in federal court against the Trump campaign, Russia, and Wikileaks to hold them accountable for their brazen attack on our democracy.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump’s campaign. This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for President of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency.

No one is above the law and the perpetrators of this attack must be held accountable. They successfully hacked the Democratic Party in 2016 and they will be back. We must prevent future attacks on our democracy, and that’s exactly what we’re doing today. This is not partisan, it’s patriotic. If the occupant of the Oval Office won’t protect our democracy, Democrats will. It is our obligation to the American people.

You can read the full lawsuit here.

When I spoke to the National Action Network’s Annual Conference last year, shortly after I had been elected DNC Chair, I made a promise that we would do more to include communities of color and voters who felt taken for granted by our party. This week, I was proud to address the conference again to honor the legacy of Dr. King and give them an update on the progress we’ve made at the DNC.

Over the past year, we made historic investments across the country in engaging and mobilizing African American voters, recruiting African American candidates, and speaking to African American voters about the issues that matter most to them.

2017 was a good year for our candidates. And if we keep organizing, 2018 is going to be historic. Up and down the ballot, we’re working to ensure that our leadership represents the diversity of our people, and we’re organizing communities of color through our new IWillVote program like never before.

This past Tuesday was Tax Day, and with it came another reminder of the disastrous tax bill signed by Donald Trump. Trump and Republicans promised their bill was written for the middle class, that it would create jobs, spur investment and wage growth, and that it would pay for itself. Those were all lies.

The truth is that the Trump tax scam was designed by Republicans to reward their donors and give massive windfalls to Wall Street, big corporations, and the wealthiest Americans. More than 80% of its benefits by 2027 will go to the top 1%. The worst part? It all comes at the expense of American workers like Jim and Lois. Watch their story here.

We’ve got 200 days until Election Day, which means we have 200 days ’til the weekend. And we can’t let up for a second. That’s why I was so excited for the chance to sit down with a diverse group of social media influencers and young activists to discuss the importance of reaching out to young voters and convincing them to go to the polls this on Election Day.

These young Americans give me so much hope for our nation’s future. They are fearless leaders, and they will make their voices heard. You can watch our conversation here.

With the passing of Barbara Bush this week, America has lost a tireless public servant. From championing literacy to promoting awareness and destigmatization of AIDS, the former first lady put the values of inclusion and equality into action, and there’s no doubt that the world is a better place because of her invaluable service.

With grace and compassion, Mrs. Bush brought her sense of humor and steady moral compass to the White House. She never ceased in her work to strengthen our nation.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family as they mourn their loss and celebrate her legacy.

Yours,
Tom
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Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee

I wanted you to be one of the first to know that today, the DNC is filing a civil lawsuit alleging Russia perpetrated a brazen attack on American democracy, and found a willing and active partner in the Trump campaign.

Here’s why: a major part of Russia’s attack on American democracy was its cyberattack on the DNC and its theft of the DNC’s proprietary information. This stolen information was then released to the public by Russian agents and Wikileaks to damage the Democratic party and influence the 2016 election.

This litigation isn’t about our party, it is about our country. If the occupant of the Oval Office refuses to protect our democracy, Democrats will. It is our obligation to the American people.

We believe that Russia found a willing partner in the Trump campaign, who shared their goal of damaging the Democratic party and helping elect Donald Trump. The Trump campaign had repeated secretive communications with Russian agents and WikiLeaks. Russian agents told Trump advisors that the Kremlin wanted to help Trump and had stolen emails and other material that could damage Trump’s opponent. And Trump’s closest political advisor, Roger Stone, had advanced knowledge of a major release of stolen Democratic emails.

It is a disgrace to our country that instead of taking actions to protect American democracy, the Trump campaign put Russia and itself first.

Make no mistake about it, our number one focus at the DNC is winning elections from the school board to the Oval Office – and we’re winning all across this country. We’re going to keep our eyes on the prize: taking back the House and Senate, winning back state legislatures, and building a brighter future for our country. But winning elections also means protecting elections, and today we’re doing just that.

But no one is above the law, and we must pursue every avenue of justice against those who engaged in this illegal activity and the horrific attack on the DNC and our democracy.

More soon,
Tom
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Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee

Protecting the Special Counsel

The president of the United States appears to be on the verge of firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the man overseeing the investigation of him and his campaign. This would be the first step toward firing the special counsel investigating the president.

The gravity of this situation cannot be overstated. It is imperative that Special Counsel Bob Mueller be able to continue his investigation unimpeded, and both Democrats and Republicans should work together to hold the president for any actions he may take to obstruct it. This is not about politics. It’s about the rule of law and the life of our democracy. History will remember where our leaders stood in this moment.

Speaker Ryan’s retirement this week is an indictment of Republican leadership that has failed to provide meaningful results for the American people. During his tenure, Republicans have voted to gut funding for Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, student loans, public schools, and SNAP benefits, while trying to take health care away from millions of American families. They opposed measures to close the gender pay gap and viciously attacked a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body. They stifled any and all attempts to enact sensible gun laws. They refused to stand up to Donald Trump’s rampant bigotry, corruption, and dishonesty. And they consistently served Wall Street and wealthy corporations at the expense of their constituents.

The American people are demanding change, and the disaster of unified Republican control of government has made one thing abundantly clear: Democratic values are American values. Since Donald Trump took office, 46 Republicans have resigned or made retirement plans, and Democrats have flipped another 39 state legislative seats from red to blue across the country. The American people are hungry for Democratic leadership, and the Democratic Party is organizing in every single ZIP code to provide it in 2018. As Paul Ryan heads for the exit, Democrats are fighting to make sure that his Republican colleagues join him in retirement come November.

The Democratic Party was proud to stand with millions of women on Equal Pay Day this week. Our party is a champion of equal pay for equal work. We believe that women’s economic strength is American economic strength, and that’s why closing the gender pay gap is an issue we should all be fighting for.

Working women contribute $7.6 trillion to our GDP each year. In four out of ten American households with children, the mother is either the sole or primary breadwinner. It’s long past time we make sure that women are guaranteed the same pay as men for doing the same work. Women are the core of our party, and we will not rest until all women and all working families receive fair and equal pay, so we can create a stronger America for all.

On Democrats live this week, Deputy Chair Keith Ellison and College Democrats of AmericaPresident Joseline Mata talked about how young people are organizing and taking their voices to the polls. Check out the show here:

Lastly, yesterday we remembered the six million Jews and the millions of other victims murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. We can never let the horrors of the Holocaust fade from our memory. We have a solemn obligation to tell every future generation the stories of the souls who perished, the survivors who endured, and the heroes who fought back against unspeakable evil and risked their lives to save others.

Never again can we remain silent in the face of anti-Semitism. Never again can we be bystanders to bigotry. Democrats will always speak out against discrimination of any form. We will work to confront all those who sow the seeds of darkness and division in our country. We will continue to fight for the dignity and rights of all people. And we will never forget.

Yours,

Tom
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Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee

On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we are deeply saddened by Congresswoman Slaughter’s passing, and our thoughts are with her family, colleagues, and constituents at this difficult time.

As one of the longest-serving women in Congress, Louise was a trailblazer and fierce advocate for women’s rights. From fighting for equal pay and LGBTQ rights to combating the scourge of domestic violence and sexual assault, she was committed to the values of diversity, equality, and justice for all people. And as the only microbiologist in Congress, she worked tirelessly to protect our environment and expand access to STEM education for women, minorities, and people with disabilities.

It would be hard to find a member of Congress more respected and beloved than Louise. With good humor, unfailing kindness, and a lifelong passion for public service, she dedicated her career to making progressive change for families in New York and across the country. Her leadership will be sorely missed by the Democratic Party and in the halls of Congress, but we will carry on her legacy by continuing to fight for the issues she championed every single day.

We had a tremendously successful DNC Winter Meeting last week, and I’m grateful to everyone who participated to help build a stronger Democratic Party. From the moment I decided to run for chair, I understood we had to rebuild trust with every single voter who shares our values.

Now that the work of the Unity Reform Commission and our Rules and Bylaws Committee is one step closer to completion, I couldn’t be more optimistic about our efforts to elect more Democrats up and down the ballot in 2018, 2020 and beyond. And I’m certain that when our work is complete, our 2020 nomination process will be the most fair and transparent in the history of American presidential politics.

You can watch my remarks from last weekend’s General Session here.

The upsets keep coming. And no, I’m not talking about basketball. On Tuesday, Democrats pulled off yet another stunning victory in a deep-red district. With the nation’s eyes on Pennsylvania 18th, we invested, organized, and helped Conor Lamb flip a seat in a district Donald Trump won by 20 points in 2016.

This is a victory for the hardworking families of Western Pennsylvania and for Democrats across the country who are organized and ready to win in 2018. It’s a continuation of the trend we saw in 2017 and a sign of even bigger wins to come in 2018. But most of all, it’s a reminder that every single vote counts. That’s why our new IWillVote program is so important.

The DNC is proud to have supported Conor and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in their organizing efforts. As a Marine and former federal prosecutor, Conor has already dedicated his career to serving the American people. Now as he heads to Congress, I know he’ll be a tireless champion for better jobs and wages, more affordable health care, an end to the opioid epidemic, and retirement security for all the families he represents.

It has been profoundly inspiring to see the students of Stoneman Douglas organizing and demanding action to end the epidemic of gun violence. On Wednesday, the DNC family walked out in solidarity with them and millions of students across the country, because we all deserve to be safe where we work, live, and go to school. As they keep reminding us, thoughts and prayers are not enough; now is the time for action.

Democrats are proud to support these students, and we refuse to believe that we are powerless to prevent the mass slaughter of innocent people. Every day, seven children and teens die from gun violence. This is not normal. This is not acceptable. This is not inevitable. The cruel and cowardly indifference of the gun lobby and their close allies in Congress is no match for the courage of these students and all those fighting to end gun violence. Because of their leadership and activism, we know that one day we will no longer live in a nation that sees its children murdered and does nothing.

Have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and best of luck with your NCAA brackets. I’m sure mine will be busted soon.

Yours,

Tom
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, as we get a start to our week I wanted to share a Medium post on DNC fundraising from our Finance Chair Henry Muñoz.
Yours,

Jason
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Jason Rae
Secretary
Democratic National Committee

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The Truth about DNC Fundraising

By DNC Finance Chair Henry Muñoz

In 2017, the Democratic National Committee raised $65.9 million. That’s more than in any off-cycle year since 2011, and more than we raised in 2005 and 2007, years that preceded the Democratic takeover of both chambers of Congress and the election of Barack Obama, respectively. And that total doesn’t even include the money raised by the DNC last year for its new Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, which provides critical additional funds to help our state parties.

How are we doing this? Not only are we seeing an increase in donor confidence, but we are witnessing record grassroots fundraising. Nearly two-thirds of our total contributions are $200 or less with an average online donation of $21. This is happening because people are excited to elect Democrats. Look no further than last year’s marquee races.

In Virginia, donor enthusiasm allowed us to invest $1.5 million to elect Ralph Northam governor and put him in a strong position to actually govern by flipping 15 seats in the House of Delegates from red to blue — a feat the likes of which we haven’t seen the state since the late 19th Century.

In Alabama, our Republican counterpart cut big checks at Donald Trump’s behest in a desperate attempt to bail out an alleged child molester. We took a different approach and rode a wave of grassroots enthusiasm powered by over 40,000 contributors. The result: nearly $ 1 million, including almost $700,000 directly to the Doug Jones campaign, that funded African American and millennial outreach, data, tech, research, and boots on the ground.

Our debt is at its lowest point for an off-cycle year since 2009 and we have more cash on hand than we had in 2005 and 2007 — years that both preceded major Democratic wave elections. And two-thirds of our contribution revenue last year came from grassroots donors giving small-dollar contributions (less than $200).

Still, a number of reports have been published this week ignoring these upward trends and highlighting the disparity in fundraising between the DNC and RNC as if it’s news. It isn’t. Let’s look at the last off-year that Democrats were completely out of power: 2005. The RNC outraised the DNC by $51 million. What happened in 2006? A Democratic takeover of both houses of Congress. Fast forward to 2007. The RNC outraised the DNC by over $30 million. The next year, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States of America and Democrats padded their majorities in both the House and Senate.

Here’s the bottom line: The leader of the Republican Party is a billionaire fighting for billionaires. Until last week, their finance chair — my Republican counterpart — was casino mogul Steve Wynn, a man accused by multiple employees of a decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct. And the GOP’s one real legislative achievement last year was slashing taxes for the wealthy in a system rigged to favor the 1%. So there’s nothing surprising about their ability to attract big donations from the likes of the Koch brothers to pad their war chest — money is #1 on their list of values and it shows.

But all the same, Democrats are winning on the most important scoreboard in politics — we’re winning elections.

Since Trump took office, we’ve won over 100 local and state elections and flipped 34 state legislative seats from red to blue. We’ve picked up seats in deep red districts in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Iowa. And we’ve won critical races in Virginia, New Jersey, and Alabama, where Doug Jones just became the state’s first Democratic senator to be elected in 25 years.

We’re winning because Democrats are fighting for working families, for people struggling to make it into the middle class, and for people who didn’t inherit their wealth. And we’re winning because we’re investing in organizing in every ZIP code, building up our state parties, and getting people registered to vote.

This is just the beginning. On Tuesday, November 6th, votes will be counted across the country in an election that could be historic for the Democratic Party. Enthusiasm for our candidates is growing every day, and we’re making unprecedented investments to ensure that we’ll cross the finish line victorious on Election Day. But we need all the help we can get. Every single dollar in every small donation helps to strengthen our party and elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Either Democrats will take control or Trump will continue pushing his divisive policies. The time to take action is now.

After watching this week’s State of the Union, two things are clear: We must keep holding Trump accountable — and it’s more important than ever that we elect Democrats in 2018. President Trump’s address was dark, divisive, and dangerous. We heard empty words about helping workers, while his actions have only given massive tax cuts to the richest Americans. We heard broken promises and blatant lies, shameful fear-mongering and morally reprehensible immigration proposals.

It’s no wonder Trump got the least positive reaction for a State of the Union address in at least 20 years. There was no unity, no bipartisanship, and there will be no change. Our rapid response team at the DNC fact-checked and responded to Trump’s speech in real time, informing reporters and voters with the truth about the president’s divisive policies.

Like all of you, I’m deeply grateful for the work Jess O’Connell has done. She will leave this organization in a far better place than she found it, and her successor will have big shoes to fill.

Thankfully, as we search for a permanent CEO, I was thrilled to announce this week that Mary Beth Cahill is joining our team as interim CEO. From her days in the U.S. Senate and the White House to her leadership at EMILY’s List, Mary Beth is a seasoned Democratic veteran who brings decades of experience and public service to managing and electing Democrats up and down the ballot. I know Democrats nationwide will benefit from Mary Beth’s talents as we build on the energy and momentum from 2017 and work to elect Democrats in 2018 and beyond.

This week also brought Trump’s reckless decision to release the Nunes memo. This sham memo was written and released for one purpose and one purpose only: to discredit Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. The American people deserve to know the truth about Trump’s ties to Russia and whether he obstructed justice to prevent that truth from coming out. The release of this memo makes clear that Trump and his henchmen on Capitol Hill will do everything they can to undermine this investigation, even if they jeopardize our national security in the process. We can’t let them undermine our justice system to serve their partisan political interests. No one is above the law.

Yours,

Tom
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee

I’m thrilled to announce that Mary Beth Cahill will join our team as interim CEO.

Mary Beth comes to us with a wealth of experience in Democratic politics. From her days in the U.S. Senate and the White House to her leadership at EMILY’s List, Mary Beth is a seasoned Democratic veteran who brings decades of experience and public service to managing and electing Democrats up and down the ballot. Democrats nationwide will benefit from her talents as we build on the energy and momentum from 2017 and work to elect Democrats in 2018 and beyond.

Times of transition are never easy. But I’m incredibly grateful for Jess O’Connell’s leadership here at the DNC. She’s leaving this organization in far better shape than she found it, and the person who succeeds her will have big shoes to fill.

Thank you for your patience through this process. I’m excited to welcome Mary Beth to the team, and I look forward to hearing your input as we search for a permanent CEO.
Best,

Tom
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee

Please find below a message from DNC CEO Jess O’Connell.
Yours,

Jason
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Jason Rae
Secretary
Democratic National Committee

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DNC Members,

I write today to announce that I am stepping down as CEO of the DNC later next month. I’m proud to have helped to rebuild our party at a time when we needed it most. I am grateful to Chairman Tom Perez for the opportunity to serve during such a pivotal moment in our history as we fight with everything we’ve got to protect and promote Democratic values and to elect more Democrats nationwide. During his run for Chair, and every minute of our work together, Tom’s been focused on culture change, organizing, and electing Democrats everywhere.

Together, we launched the Every Zip Code Counts strategy, delivered unprecedented programming and financial support for state parties and campaigns, recommitted our focus on data and technology, and we won 100+ Democratic victories, including 34 flips from red-to-blue, in 2017.

Our mission is clear: to elect Democrats from school board to the Oval Office. But we know that victory is not inevitable and that we cannot bank on a blue wave. Now, more than ever, each of us must continue to lead with our voice, our values, and our votes. While I pass the baton at the DNC, I will do the same going forward. Together, we share a vision for our country, one that treats its people better than its corporations. A country where your zip code, race, gender, religion, or sexuality don’t pre-determine your worth, wealth, or welcome. One where people aren’t alien or illegal, they’re just people. One where we build jobs and goodwill, not walls and wars. One where we value education, healthcare and water for all, not a privileged few. One where hard work is rewarded and diversity is our strength.

It has been a pleasure to work with all of you. Thank you for your leadership, and I will remain in this fight with  you.

Let’s win,
Jess

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration, and we’re just hours away from a government shutdown. That tells you all you need to know about how dangerous and destructive this presidency has been.

Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. Any government shutdown falls 100% on them. In fact, there has never been a government shutdown when one party has controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress.

This Republican recklessness is hurting our military and veterans, children who need health care, and Dreamers who deserve compassion and the chance to stay in the only country they’ve ever called home. It’s hurting retirees and community health centers, people in need of opioid addiction treatment and communities in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and California that are still recovering from disasters.

This is Trump’s Republican Party: Chaos, incompetence, and moral failure. Democrats want a deal. We are at the table. We have put forward bipartisan agreements but Trump and Republicans refuse to work towards a deal. They are bringing us to the brink.

But Democrats will continue to fight for the values of the American people. On Monday, I was honored to speak about those values, Dr. King’s legacy, and the need for moral leadership at the National Action Network’s MLK Day Breakfast.

The question of moral leadership is front and center in the battle to protect Dreamers. Instead of leading on this issue, Donald Trump has decided to betray every promise he made to Dreamers and their families. Trump said he loved Dreamers and would “show great heart” on DACA. Those were lies. Ending DACA like he did was nothing but heartless and hateful.

Dreamers are our neighbors and friends, our classmates and co-workers. The clock is ticking, and their futures hang in the balance. I wrote an op-ed in the Seattle Times about the importance of passing the DREAM Act and protecting these young people. You can read a Spanish-language version of the op-ed in Univision.

As we hit the one-year mark of Trump’s presidency tomorrow, it cannot be overstated how harmful this administration has been to our economy. From breaking his promises to workers to passing a tax bill that rewards only the wealthiest, Trump has made it clear that he is president of the 1%, for the 1%, and by the 1%. I wrote a memorandum about the president’s first year of destructive economic policies on our Medium account this week.

The best way to combat Trump and the GOP’s radical policy agenda is to elect Democrats across the country. That’s what we did in 2017, and we’re not showing any signs of slowing down. On Tuesday, we won two more elections in Wisconsin, including a state Senate seat that hasn’t been occupied by a Democrat in nearly 20 years, in a district that Trump won by 17 points in 2016.

We have now flipped 34 state legislative seats in the last year. The message is clear: voters are rejecting Trump. And if Democrats continue to organize and lead with our values, we can win anywhere.

As we continue to win elections, we’re also focused on making sure that our presidential primary process in 2020 will be the most fair and transparent in our party’s history. The Unity Reform Commission’s work is critical to moving us forward and restoring voters’ trust in our party, and I spoke today to our Rules and Bylaws Committee about why it’s important for them to adopt these recommendations.

Finally, I want to leave you with a few words about a special member of our Democratic family who we lost this week. Paul Booth was an organizing icon, a titan of the labor movement, and a lifelong champion for working families. We are deeply saddened by his passing, and the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the DNC are with Paul’s colleagues at AFSCME, his wife Heather, and the entire Booth family at this difficult time.

When Paul was just nine years old, he starting handing out leaflets during the 1952 presidential campaign. Once he got a taste of activism and organizing, he never looked back. From his days standing up to apartheid in South Africa and fighting for factory workers in Chicago to his decades of leadership at AFSCME, Paul devoted the rest of his life to organizing for the civil, social, and economic rights of all people. And in 2016, we were honored to have Paul serve on the DNC committee that drafted the most ambitious and progressive platform in our party’s history.

Throughout his life, Paul preached the principle of solidarity and urged everyone around him to be “missionaries” for the labor movement. Over the course of more than five decades, he and Heather have inspired generations of activists to continue organizing for social and economic justice.

When he spoke about the battles ahead – for better wages and retirement security, for the right to organize and bargain collectively, for the justice, equality, and economic opportunity that everyone deserves – he liked to say, “We are in this together. We will fight it together. And we will win it together.” With Paul’s legacy as our guide, we will carry on the fight for a better future together.

Best,

Tom
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee