The Democratic Party is millions of dollars short of the money it needs to host the Democratic National Convention in July, A key Democrat told Buzzfeed on Friday.
Ed Rendell, a former Pennsylvania governor and chairman of the Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee for the DNC, told Buzzfeed the party is $9.5 million short of its $64 million goal.
{mosads}Another source told Buzzfeed the deficit is closer to $16 million.
“It’s a legitimate gap, but we’re touching every base to fill it,” Rendell said.
Rendell cited not receiving money from the city of Philadelphia or the federal government as reasons for the gap.
“It’s been a heavy lift,” he said.
Rendell also blamed presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, whom he said has made companies wary of donating to the Republican National Committee. Companies that donate to the conventions often give to both the Republicans and Democrats to keep from being seen as biased.
In 2012, the Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., fell about $25 million short, which the DNC had to make up.
“We’re determined to not let that happen,” Rendell said.