Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is blasting Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez over his recent endorsement of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, which blatantly conflicts with Perez’ promise the national party wouldn’t pick favorites.

“To endorse one candidate over the other is not what the chair of the DNC should be doing,” said Sanders, who many feel was railroaded by the DNC during his 2016 presidential primary against Hillary Clinton.

Perez endorsed Cuomo last month at an event in Long Island, effectively shunning primary opponent Cynthia Nixon, an actress endorsed by Our Revolution, “a progressive political organization inspired by Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016,” Politico reports.

On Wednesday, MSNBC brought up the controversy with DNC Deputy Chairman Keith Ellison, who lost out to Perez for DNC chairman but was named number two to appease Sanders supporters, many of whom are still sore over the party’s rigged 2016 primary.



Ellison didn’t seem very enthused about discussing Perez’s apparent flip-flop.

“I got to ask you about this controversy involving the DNC chair’s endorsement of Andrew Cuomo in New York. Bernie Sanders unhappy about it. It’s my understanding you were among folks not happy about him publicly endorsing,” host Chuck Todd said.

“Was that done in error? Was that a mistake? Um, is that something you regret happened?”

“It was an individual decision based on a very long term relationship that he had with those individuals,” said Ellison, a U.S. representative from Minnesota running for the state’s attorney general position.

“Our main policy, our default policy, is still to not get involved in primaries for DNC officers,” he said.

Todd summarized to clarify.

“So this is a one-time thing and there isn’t going to be more endorsements from you or him in primaries?” he questioned.

Ellison dodged the question, answering only for himself.

“You won’t see any endorsements from me in primaries,” he said with a smirk.

The comments come after Sanders was questioned by The Daily 202 Live about Perez’s Cuomo endorsement, which the senator said was “absolutely” a mistake.

He also said that while he’s worked with DNC chairman on some issues, he still wishes Ellison was running the show.

“Keith is a very good friend of mine,” he said, “and I’m sorry he was not elected chair of the DNC.”