Democratic operative fired after undercover video suggests egging on Trump supporters

A Democratic operative caught in a secret video is fired

(Image credit: CNN/YouTube)

published 19 October 2016

On Tuesday, the group Democracy Partners severed ties with a regional contractor named Scott Foval, who was captured on a secretly recorded video talking about sending people to Donald Trump events to get Trump supporters to "pop off" and hit them, with the purported goal of making Trump look bad. Foval was also fired from Americans United for Change, the group under contract to Democracy Partners, which in turn was hired by the Democratic National Committee. "It's a matter of showing up, to want to get into their rally, in a Planned Parenthood T-shirt, or 'Trump is a Nazi,' you know," Foval is recorded saying. "You can message to draw them out, and draw them out to punch you."

The man who hired Foval, Democratic operative Robert Creamer, said that Foval was engaging in "unprofessional and careless hypothetical conversations" and that "none of the schemes described in this video ever took place." Creamer, who is married to Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), also stepped down from his role working with the DNC and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

The video was shot and edited by Project Veritas, the group led by conservative activist James O'Keefe. "While Project Veritas has been known to offer misleading video out of context, some of the language and tactics referenced in the video are troubling even as a theory or proposal never executed," Clinton campaign spokesman Zac Petkanas said in a statement. "We support the Democratic National Committee's appropriate action addressing this matter." You can learn more in the CNN report below. Peter Weber

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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.