Sen. Bernie Sanders' new political group One Revolution is already facing internal bickering and charges of hypocrisy as it tries to promote its supposed goal of combating special interests of the "one percent" and promote financial transparency, Politico reports.
The squabbling comes less than a week after the launch of the group and just before Wednesday's expected speech by Sanders, his first major address since the Democratic National Convention.
At least five members of One Revolution's 15-member team have already quit after the return of presidential campaign manager Jeff Weaver as the group's new president, according to Politico.
For many of Sanders' younger supporters, Weaver represents the older aides who insisted during the presidential campaign that it was their experience and planning that spurred Sanders' ability to translate his message into votes.
The younger staff members felt underappreciated by these aides who refused to recognize that his success was due to their digital and organizing abilities.
The personal infighting was apparently also exacerbated by an argument over key values that One Revolution says it represents, such as campaign finance reform.
One specific disagreement involves fundraising strategy, with Weaver supporting traditional fundraising and not just the grassroots kind that highlighted Sanders' presidential campaign and served as a contrast to how Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton received backing from Super PACs.
In a move that many One Revolution diehards regard as hypocritical or at least against the values they preach, the group plans to operate as a 501(c)(4) organization, a tax status that will allow it to accept unlimited contributions without having to reveal its donors, ABC News reports
But campaign finance experts told ABC News that the group's activities could be limited by campaign regulations because of its ties to Sanders. This is because these type of organizations are supposed to be run by political operatives, not elected officeholders or political candidates and are required to focus on social welfare, not elections and political activity.
A major goal of Our Revolution, however, is to influence Senate, House and other campaigns so that candidates supportive of Sanders' progressive ideas are elected.
Adding to the sense of hypocrisy, according to the Washington Examiner, is Sanders' continued refusal to release his personal financial records.
This came at the same time that CPI, a nonpartisan, investigative organization, reported that that Sanders bought a summer house on the lakefront near Burlington for $575,000, his third home.
This sparked a torrent of mocking on social media about how capitalism is alive and well for the democratic socialist.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.