WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange thinks he knows the real reason why Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders dropped out of the Democratic Presidential race. He claims Sanders was threatened.
It’s no secret that Assange harbors an intense dislike for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. On March 16 the organization released a searchable archive of 30,322 emails sent to and from Clinton’s private email server. The emails proved to be embarrassing but ultimately, of little substance.
On July 22, a further 19,252 emails were published, revealing the extent to which the Democratic National Committee conspired against Sanders. In the wake of the scandal, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the DNC, resigned her post.
More Emails On Their Way
Assange confirmed that more emails from Clinton’s private server are on their way, and he insists that the next cache will lead to an FBI indictment. The veracity of such a claim has yet to be proven and as of yet, is nothing but hearsay.
Still, it’s easy to see why some on the right might be desperate for his claims to be true.
Voter exposure to Trump’s idiotic statements, both past and present are making a November victory look increasingly unlikely. For some, a WikiLeaks shaped October surprise might be the only hope they have left.
Serious Allegations
And what of the idea Sanders was directly threatened? As is often the case with Assange, details are far from forthcoming. Speaking to legendary documentary film maker John Pilger, Assange said:
“Look, I think—you know, we know how politics works in the United States. Whoever—whatever political party gets into government is going to merge with the bureaucracy pretty damn fast. It will be in a position where it has some levers in its hand. And Bernie Sanders was independent candidate trying to get the nomination trough the Democratic Party and if you ask me he did get the nomination, but he was threatened to drop out.”
His observations about the mechanics of government are mostly accurate, if a little cynical, but his claims regarding Sanders sound an awful lot like raw opinion, and an opinion that is scant on detail at that.
Who threatened Sanders? Was he threatened with violence? Why has he not come forward with allegations?
Unsubstantiated Claims
There could be answers to any of those questions. Assange could be in possession of evidence that intimidation has perverted the democratic process. Such a revelation would make Watergate look like a slow news day where coverage of an embarrassing typo spotted on a White House tweet is exciting.
But if Assange is doing anything more than speculating, then the question has to be asked. Why not release the evidence? The answer to that might be timing; he does after all, have a track record when it comes to maximizing the impact of releases.
Another, more plausible answer is that no such evidence exists.
WikiLeaks’ recent offer of cash prizes to anyone who can dish the dirt on Clinton or Trump is telling. It hardly fits the narrative of an organization possessing the political equivalent of an A-Bomb. Indeed, it lends credence to the notion that Assange’s unsubstantiated claims are exactly what they appear to be.
Unsubstantiated claims.
Time will tell.
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
