Bernie Sanders apologizes to Hillary Clinton for data breach — and suggests maybe her campaign stole his data, too

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders discuss the DNC data breach
(Image credit: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)

The first question in the Democratic presidential debate Saturday night was about the apparent pilfering of Hillary Clinton's data from a Democratic National Committee network by Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) campaign. Sanders said the newest breach was not the first opportunity his campaign had to access Clinton's data, and that in earlier instances, his team had quietly approached the DNC to inform them and shut the door to Clinton's data. This time, however, "our staff did the wrong thing," Sanders said, noting that he had fired one staffer and had opened an independent investigation into the breach.

However, he said, he also wants an independent investigation into all data breaches since the campaign began because he is "not convinced" that the Clinton campaign hasn't taken information from his campaign.

"Does Secretary Clinton deserve an apology?" asked ABC News' David Muir. "Yes, I apologize," Sanders said quickly. "I also want to apologize to my supporters."

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Muir asked Clinton if she accepted his apology, and she said yes, and then sort of repaid Sanders for his shrugging off Clinton's private email problem at an earlier debate. "I think we should move on, because I don't think the American people are very interested in all this," she said.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.