Democratic National Chairman Wasserman Schultz resigns after Wilileaks released damning emails which showed she favoured Hilary Clinton

The Democratic Party chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz is resigning under pressure as  a stunning leadership shakeup as party officials gather in Philadelphia to nominate Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidential nominee. Wasserman Schultz's announcement Sunday follows an outrage over hacked emails suggesting the Democratic National Committee favored Hilary Clinton during the primaries, even though she claimed she was neutral.

In a statement, Wasserman Schultz said she will step down at the end of the four-day convention which begins today. She said she plans to formally open and close the convention, as well as address delegates but didn't address the email scandal.

The leaked emails made the Democratic primary runner-up Bernie Sanders to call for Wasserman Schultz's immediate resignation.

Sanders had repeatedly accused the DNC of backing Clinton during the primaries. He said the 19,000 emails published by the website Wikileaks appeared to confirm his suspicions.

In one leaked email, a DNC official wondered whether Sanders' religious beliefs could be used against him, questioning whether the candidate may be an atheist.

Sanders pressed for Wasserman Schultz to quit as chairwoman immediately. He also suggested that Clinton's choice of running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, was a disappointment and that he would have preferred Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a favorite of liberals.

"His political views are not my political views. He is more conservative than I am. Would I have preferred to see somebody like an Elizabeth Warren selected by Secretary Clinton? Yes, I would have," Sanders told NBC's "Meet the Press."

Source: AP