A campaign surrogate for 2020 Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden was reportedly “forced to resign” following negative video and comments about Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Lindy Li reportedly stepped down as the treasurer for the Pennsylvania Young Democrats after she allegedly promoted a “doctored” video of the Vermont lawmaker and 2020 hopeful, immigration paralegal Jamie Agustin shared on Twitter Monday.
Agustin tweeted that Li “stepped down” after spreading doctored video of Bernie Sanders and making antisemitic comments about him,” adding screenshots that showed Li saying, in her words in a group chat, that she was “forced to resign.”
SCOOP: Biden Surrogate @LindyLi was forced to resign as Treasurer of the PA Young Democrats after spreading doctored video of Bernie Sanders and making antisemitic comments about him pic.twitter.com/yFuVrMpXh3
— The One Good Jamie ? (@jamie_agust) February 17, 2020
“I was just forced to resign as Treasurer of PA Young Dems because of my anti-Sanders tweets,” Li said in the chat titled “JIHVE BIDEN FRONT.”
“No more fundraisers. Screw them,” she added.
“The [Biden] campaign is furious over this,” she wrote in another group chat message. “We’ve gone to the press. Thanks for standing with me, my dears. What a day/life. I asked for my money back. So at least I’ll be getting that.”
The altered video was captioned: “#BernieSanders lavishes praise on Communist Russia, preferring the Soviet Union to the American way of life,” and was shared by those critical of Sanders’ democratic socialist policies and views.
“According to leaked messages Lindy sent in a private pro-Biden group chat, the Biden campaign knows about all of this,” Agustin wrote.
Li clarified that she “resigned” from the volunteer position in a comment on the Twitter thread.
No I resigned. It’s a volunteer position
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) February 17, 2020
“Lindy’s doctored video—which was edited to appear that Sanders was praising Communist dictators—has 2.5 million views,” Agustin wrote in another tweet that included screenshots of tweets allegedly posted by Li.
Lindy’s doctored video—which was edited to appear that Sanders was praising Communist dictators—has 2.5 million views.
Here are two of the antisemitic tweets.
According to leaked messages Lindy sent in a private pro-Biden group chat, the Biden campaign knows about all of this. pic.twitter.com/clYrfIAQlb
— The One Good Jamie ? (@jamie_agust) February 17, 2020
In the video, Sanders praised cultural and youth programs and subway stations in Moscow during a 1983 visit. But his supporters argued that Li “deceptively edited” the clip and that “she’s lying.”
Actually, we Bernie supporters should be thanking @lindyli. True, her video clip is deceptively edited and she’s lying. But after this debunking, neither other Dems nor the Republicans in the general will be able to use an attack like this with any effect.https://t.co/kFb6hfHryj
— David Lee (@tDaveLee) February 17, 2020
CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski tweeted that the video was “edited with a false caption to cut his comments on the Soviet Union’s deficiencies in health care and not being democratic” and that Li had hidden “replies linking to the full press conference.”
For instance, the video people are responding to is edited with a false caption to cut his comments on Soviet Union’s deficiencies in health care and not being democratic with the author of the tweet hiding replies linking to the full press conference.https://t.co/sQ1wasR3uB
— andrew kaczynski? (@KFILE) February 16, 2020
The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald also pointed out the “doctored video & blatantly false tweet.”
The same doctored video & blatantly false tweet that was spread virally all over the internet by people like @BillKristol, @ananavarro and so many other GOP operatives and national security state officials. Unlike @lindyli, they’ll suffer no consequences for spreading this fraud: https://t.co/fsTFE661Lz
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 17, 2020
“The Pennsylvania Young Democrats is an all-volunteer organization and is managed by an Executive Committee,” Pennsylvania Young Democrats President Thomas DeLuca told Law&Crime. “As the Chair of that Executive Committee I have worked over the last several weeks with Ms. Li to address her remarks on social media and the Executive Committee has not yet issued a statement at this time.”
Li’s resignation and the fallout from the doctored video came as Sanders’ critics have been calling him out on the behavior of some of his supporters, especially in bullying tactics used online. A fight between two men erupted Monday at Sanders’ Colorado rally reportedly over a shirt that said “Black Guns Matter.” This followed Sunday’s momentary loss of control as protesters, including topless women, rushed the stage at a Sanders campaign event in Carson City, Nevada.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg took aim at “Bernie’s angry bros” in a campaign ad released Monday and Biden also criticized the “vicious threats” by Sanders’ supporters.
(Source: MSNBC)
The allegedly edited video of Sanders and Li’s resignation sparked plenty of mixed Twitter reactions.
Biden has been openly attacking “vicious” Bernie supporters on the news & online for the past week.
But at the same time, millions of people saw a fake video—designed to smear Sanders—spread by an *official surrogate* of Biden’s campaign.
Does Biden condone this? pic.twitter.com/YiWKKQfbs3
— The One Good Jamie ? (@jamie_agust) February 17, 2020
I didn’t know the full tape was available. Having now watched all of Bernie’s comments, many of which were aimed at boosting perestroika and a democratic society and launch of a sister city program (a fine idea, btw), the overall presentation was a little puffy but not so bad. https://t.co/bd9G3rOtnD
— Jonathan Alter (@jonathanalter) February 16, 2020
Not doctored….there are others…he praised Fidel Castro….
— DP ??EM TOO⚖️??????? (@MTPSU1987) February 18, 2020
Where is the antisemitism in the tweets and what was doctored?
— Michael Ronzano (@whichcamefirst) February 18, 2020
Bernie is a Russia lover. The video is clear.
— Radical Moderate (@ModerateWill) February 18, 2020
If the best they can do to smear Bernie is a 2 minute video showing him saying that the USSR had nice subway stations and theaters, no wonder they’re worried about him.
— Jon Bronstein (@BUFTrot) February 18, 2020
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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