Senior DNC officials resign over email scandal

Several Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials resigned on Tuesday in the wake of an embarrassing email hack that revealed party efforts to undermine US Senator Bernie Sanders' campaign for the presidency.

The emails were made available to the public by whistle-blowing organization WikiLeaks on the eve of the Democratic Party's convention, prompting DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign.

On Tuesday, DNC chief executive Amy Dacey, chief finance officer Brad Marshall and communications director Luis Miranda left their positions, interim DNC chairwoman Donna Brazile said in a statement.

"Thanks in part to the hard work of Amy, Luis and Brad, the Democratic Party has adopted the most progressive platform in history, has put itself in financial position to win in November and has begun the important work of investing in state party partnerships," Brazile said.

"I'm so grateful for their commitment to this cause, and I wish them continued success in the next chapter of their career," she added.

Marshall wrote one of the most explosive emails to be released, in which he called for party affiliates to question whether Sanders is an atheist, despite his Jewish background.

In the wake of the email scandal, Sanders said he was "disappointed" by efforts to undermine his bid for the White House.

"I'm not shocked, but I'm disappointed," Sanders told American broadcaster ABC's "This Week" program in July.

ls/bw (Reuters, AP)