DCCC hit with protests over lack of diversity, despite strong fundraising performance

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is reportedly in "complete chaos" over criticism from its own staffers and from black and Latino lawmakers who allege there is a lack of diversity in its ranks, threatening a shake-up in the organization that has outraised its Republican counterpart by nearly $20 million.

What are the details?

Politico reported last week that prominent Democratic legislators of color have been blasting DCCC Chairwoman Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill) for failing to hire (or retain) enough minority decision-makers in the House Democrats' campaign arm. The committee's own employees have also called for a restructuring of senior management to reflect a more racially diverse team.

Outrage from staffers boiled over Friday during an all-employee meeting, where Bustos' top aide, DCCC Executive Director Allison Jaslow, reportedly cried while taking responsibility for the lack of diversity in the committee. According to a follow-up story by Politico, Bustos made an emergency trip from her district to Washington, D.C., on Monday to address the uproar.

Hispanic Texas Democratic Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Filemon Vela told the outlet Saturday that Jaslow needs to go.

"The DCCC is now in complete chaos," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "The single most immediate action that Cheri Bustos can take to restore confidence in the organization and to promote diversity is to appoint a qualified person of color, of which there are many, as executive director at once."

Gonzalez and Vela got their wish. On Monday, Jaslow announced she was stepping down from her post at the DCCC, effective immediately.

Any further disruption of DCCC's operations would be welcomed by the GOP, especially considering the House Democrats have outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee by nearly $20 million so far this year. The most recent numbers show the DCCC has accumulated more than $61 million compared to the NRCC's $44.5 million, the Washington Post reported last week.

Anything else?

While the DCCC appears to have been a bright spot for the Democrats so far this campaign cycle, the Democratic National Committee has struggled in its fundraising. Last month alone, the Republican National Committee raked in $20.7 million, compared to the DNC's $8.5 million during the same time period.