PolitiFact referees the Democrats' Nevada convention brawl, and it's not great for Team Sanders

The melee at the Nevada Democratic convention last weekend wasn't just about the two delegates effectively up for grabs. Tensions have been building between Bernie Sanders, the Democratic National Committee, and Hillary Clinton's campaign, and the fights in Nevada were part of that wider anger. But what actually happened at the convention is a matter of dispute, and PolitiFact decided to take a look. The fact-checking organization found no evidence that Sanders supporters threw chairs, as widely reported, but they also said there's "no clear evidence the state party 'hijacked' the process or ignored 'regular procedure,'" as Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said on CNN.

"There was a horrendous breakdown, where the leadership there in Nevada hijacked the process on the floor, created a tremendous amount of angst among people who were there attending the convention, who were supporters of Sen. Sanders, by ignoring the regular procedure and ramming through what they wanted to do," Weaver said. PolitiFact rated that "False" (though not "Pants on Fire"). The organization goes through each of the allegations, from the unseated 58 Sander delegates ("only eight of the rejected delegates even showed up to the convention, so even if they had been seated it would not have flipped the majority," PolitiFact said) to the lack of rule changes.

The convention was chaotic and the rules confusing, Politifact said, "but the howls of unfairness and corruption by the Sanders campaign during Nevada's state Democratic Convention can't change the simple fact that Clinton's supporters simply turned out in larger numbers and helped her solidify her delegate lead in Nevada." You can read the details at PolitiFact.

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