Religious leaders slam Clinton campaign over leaked emails

Religious groups are unhappy with presidential campaign of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton after leaked emails showed two high-level officials speaking critically of the Catholic faith. 

{mosads}Dozens of religious leaders signed the statement, calling the comments “demeaning and troubling.” 

The 2011 email was between campaign chairman John Podesta, communications director Jennifer Palmieri and John Halpin, a senior fellow at the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, which was co-founded by Podesta. 

In the email, Halpin wrote that Rupert Murdoch and NewsCorp Chairman Robert Thomson, who are both Catholic, are attracted to the faith because of “systemic thought and severely backward gender relations.” 

The religious leaders called Podesta’s lack of objection to the remark inexcusable, shameful and un-American. 

“Podesta’s refusal to raise any objection makes him equally party to this bigotry.”

The emails were part of thousands dumped by WikiLeaks in recent weeks. 

The Clinton campaign has declined to confirm whether the emails are authentic and calls the hack an effort by Russia to undermine their campaign.