Still no cash for Sanders' 4; checks in mail, state party says

Supporters of former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders say the Democratic Party of Arkansas broke its promises and withheld financial support it had publicly promised to provide.

Party spokesman H.L. Moody acknowledged his organization missed the payment deadline it had set but said the problem now has been addressed.

"The checks have been mailed and we apologize for the late nature of the checks, and once [the Sanders supporters] get them hopefully we can put this story to rest," he said Thursday.

Last month, three Sanders delegates to the Democratic National Convention and one pro-Sanders member of the convention's Rules Committee claimed that they had been denied the $250-per-person subsidies that were provided to other Arkansas Democratic activists who traveled to Philadelphia.


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The four Sanders supporters had slept four to a room in the official delegation hotel to lower their costs, but said the party had withheld the funds they were promised.

Asked by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette about the allegations, party officials said they would mail the money to the Sanders supporters by Aug. 5.

"This is really us bending over backwards making sure that these folks were treated fairly and feel like they were treated fairly," Moody said Aug. 3.

But on Monday, after waiting more than two weeks for the money to arrive, the Sanders backers sent an email to Democratic Party Chairman Vince Insalaco, Executive Director Ted Dick and Moody, accusing the party of misleading people about the money.

The Sanders supporters included receipts documenting their expenses.

On Tuesday, after a Democrat-Gazette inquiry about the email, Dick called the Sanders supporters and promised they'd be getting the checks soon.

Sanders delegate Teresa Gallegos of Russellville said Dick apologized, promising he would send the money "as soon as possible."

"I'm still waiting to see if they will follow through," she said Thursday.

Amanda Kennedy, a pro-Sanders Rules Committee member from Greenbrier, said Dick had "apologized and taken full responsibility" for the problem, but she said that the money hadn't arrived with Thursday's mail.

Given the party's previous promises, she said, "I'll believe the check when I see the check."

A Section on 08/26/2016

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