What to Know
- Emails show DNC staffers secured tickets for a party booster to President Obama's Rutgers commencement speech.
- At least two tickets were said to have been secured by DNC staffers, while the number of guests graduates were given was limited.
- The emails were made public by Wikileaks after a hack of the Democratic National Committee.
Democratic National Committee staffers claimed to have secured tickets for a party booster to President Obama’s Rutgers University commencement address in May – whereas students were allotted just three guests because of high demand, emails made public by Wikileaks show.
Michael Kasparian, former Chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Committee, was told by DNC staffers that he could have two tickets to the commencement address days before the event.
It is not clear if he attended the address.
Kasparian wrote to New Jersey Democratic fundraiser Orin Kramer on May 10, five days before the address, to ask for tickets, according to the emails.
“Orin,
If at all possible this former Obama for President Finance Committee Member, who hosted both the President and his wife at his home on separate occasions in the fall of 2007, would like to attend the Rutgers commencement, my alma mater. We supported the President when few in NJ had an inkling of his inherent greatness. I can thank you for that! So, if you know of anyone who may be able to accommodate me, it would be very much appreciated.
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All the best to you tomorrow evening with Hillary,” the email read.
That message landed in the inbox of Zachary Allen, who identifies himself on his email as the finance director for the New York Tri-State Democratic National Committee.
Allen went to work securing the tickets, the emails show, ultimately reaching out to Caitria Mahoney, a special assistant to the president and deputy director of political strategy and outreach at the White House, according to her Linkedin profile.
“We can do it - what name should we hold the tickets under,” Mahoney wrote to Allen on May 12, three days before the address.
“You are the BEST, thank you. Michael Kasparian is the name,” Allen responded.
NBC 4 New York reported that Rutgers set a limit of three guests per graduate because of high demand in late April, weeks before the address was scheduled.
“We have absolutely no knowledge of this,” a spokesperson for Rutgers told NBC 4 New York about DNC staffers securing tickets. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime event for our graduates and their families. We were happy that we were able to accommodate the graduates and their guests.”
Kramer was unavailable for comment. The DNC, Allen, Kasparian and Mahoney did not return requests for comment.
