Democrats’ Data Dispute Adds Drama Ahead of ABC Debate

By Mark Joyella 

Despite suggestions the Democratic National Committee was trying to avoid attention by again burying a Democratic presidential debate on a Saturday night, tonight’s ABC News debate will benefit from heightened drama: the revelation on Friday that four members of the Bernie Sanders campaign improperly accessed voter information data compiled by the campaign of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Cut to the candidate introductions–and the handshake. For the first time, the we’re-all-friends-here Democrats have the potential for a few fireworks. As the Clinton campaign’s Robby Mook told debate host ABC News “our data was stolen…the data that they reached in and took from our campaign is effectively the strategic road map in those states.”

And Sanders spokesperson Michael Briggs called the suggestion data was stolen “outrageous” and said the DNC is dominated by “Clinton people.”

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On with the show. The debate, on ABC stations and streaming on the ABC News website. The moderators are David Muir and Martha Raddatz, who posed for a photo with their stand-ins:

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