DNC panel opens the door to removing David Hogg from his national post

A Democratic National Committee panel on Monday recommended a new election for the post held by Vice Chair David Hogg, whose effort to challenge "asleep at the wheel" Democrats sparked a firestorm in the national party.

While the panel’s move was based on a procedural complaint unrelated to the broader controversy surrounding Hogg, the committee is giving DNC members another option to squeeze the vice chair after he promised to spend $20 million in Democratic primaries against incumbent House members in safe blue districts.

Hogg and DNC chair Ken Martin have been dueling over Hogg’s plans. Most recently, Martin said Hogg should either sign a neutrality pledge or step down from his post.

On Monday, the DNC Credentials Committee committee heard a complaint that alleged the body bungled its own rules when Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta were elected as vice chairs in February. To move forward, the full national body would have to sign off on the resolution the committee approved. If it does, it would call for a new election for the two vice chair posts in question and therefore would remove Hogg and Kenyatta from their posts.

In a statement, Hogg said it’s “impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote.”

“The DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort,” Hogg said.

The challenge was brought by Oklahoma DNC member Kalyn Free, who argued that the party violated its own rules and made it harder for a woman to be elected vice chair.

Her complaint was filed well before Hogg promised to challenge fellow Democrats.

The committee voted 13-2 on Monday evening after about more than three hours of discussion.

The party’s rules state that the DNC's governing body should achieve gender parity or get as close to it as is possible. Free argued, according to her initial complaint, which was shared with POLITICO, that Kenyatta and Hogg had access to more votes than Free and two other women running for the slot because the DNC’s rules were not properly followed and “made it impossible” for any woman to win the race.

"I have always known that the Democratic Party is the party of free and fair elections. Today, the credentials committee of the DNC confirmed that correcting mistakes in process, and protecting democracy is more important than saving face," Free said in a statement after the vote.

Earlier this month, Free told POLITICO her challenge was "about fairness," and added that her challenge had nothing to do with Hogg’s group funding primary challenges.

"This other thing — $20 million — that's David's issue," she said.

In a statement, Martin said he was “disappointed to learn that before I became Chair, there was a procedural error in the February Vice Chair elections.”

“The Credentials Committee has issued their recommendation, and I trust that the DNC Members will carefully review the Committee’s resolution and resolve this matter fairly,” he said.

In the hearing on Monday, Free’s lawyers called in Hofstra professor Daniel Seabold, an expert in parliamentary procedure, to give testimony on Free's behalf, and his expertise seemed to sway some members of the committee.

“I’m gonna take the guy who wrote the book,” said former Oklahoma Gov. David Walters, a committee member.

The full DNC could opt to hold a virtual vote ahead of the meeting later this summer. Otherwise it will take the issue up during its August meeting.

Elena Schneider contributed to this report.