Report: Tom Steyer's staffer accused of stealing Kamala Harris volunteer data from voter file

Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris speaks at an August campaign rally in Davenport, Iowa. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

A South Carolina aide for 2020 candidate Tom Steyer’s campaign allegedly stole "valuable volunteer data" from the campaign of his Democratic presidential rival Kamala Harris, the Charleston Post Courier reported Monday.

Details: Steyer’s campaign said its deputy S.C. state director Dwane Sims was placed on administrative leave over the weekend so it could investigate allegations that he stole the data of thousands of contacts "using an account from when he worked with the S.C. Democratic Party," the news outlet reports. The Democratic Party disabled his account, it said.

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What's happening: Steyer campaign spokesman Alberto Lammers told the Post Courier the state and national party had "failed to limit access" to Sims after he departed his role as S.C. Democratic Party voter file manager, which gave him "access to the proprietary data each campaign collects by contacting voters and potential volunteers," the Post Courier reports. Per the Post Courier:

"The party sent a cease-and-desist letter and has since received certification from Sims that he destroyed the stolen data, S.C. Democratic Party chairman Trav [said]. The Steyer campaign said it does not have possession of the data."

What they're saying: Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa told the Post Courier it permanently banned him from the voter file "and all Democratic Party systems."

• Axios has contacted the reps for the DNC, Harris and Steyer for comment.

Editor's note: This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.