WASHINGTON _ WikiLeaks released 29 voicemails hacked from Democratic Party staffers on Wednesday evening, dropping the latest leaks in the middle of prime-time programming at the Democratic National Convention. The release capped a day of discussion about the hacks, as Democrats piled on Donald Trump for encouraging Russia to find Hillary Clinton's deleted emails and release them.
Many of the voicemails appeared to be more routine in nature than the 19,252 emails and attached documents already released by the website. Most were brief messages clearing up logistics and requesting return calls from Democratic National Committee staffers. The first is a brief conversation from a father and young boy at a zoo visit.
One voicemail comes from a woman who says she is an aide to Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, a major Democratic donor who served as American ambassador to Portugal. The aide asks if there is going to be a St. Patrick's Day reception at the White House. In a follow-up voicemail she says Bagley did in fact get an invitation to the event. Bagley and her late husband, Smith Bagley, were generous donors to the Clintons and to President Barack Obama's inauguration.
In another voicemail, a man who says he is William Eacho, former ambassador to Austria and another Obama donor, returns a call from former DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz seeking more details "about a small dinner with President Obama this week."
Three voicemails came from anonymous callers who were contacting the committee to complain about the amount of control Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was given over the party's platform committee, including his naming of Princeton University Professor Cornel West to the committee.
"I am furious about what you are doing for Bernie Sanders," said one donor, who mentioned she donated $300 to the committee. "Please don't give in to him."
