A former staffer for Bernie Sanders's 2016 campaign filed a lawsuit against the pro-Sanders organization, Our Revolution, for alleged racial discrimination.
Figaro is asking for front pay, back pay, reinstatement, lost benefits, compensatory damages, emotional distress damages, pain and suffering, injunctive relief, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs as well as any other relief she is entitled to.
The plaintiff appeared on "Fox & Friends" on Monday to discuss the situation. According to Figaro, who served as director of strategic outreach for Our Revolution, she was fired for bringing up concerns and issues that impacted the black community.
"For three years there has been consistent concerns – my colleagues have come forward, not just me – in print and the New York Times about issues racism in the Bernie Sanders movement. The public has talked about it even as recently as last night," Figaro explained.
According to the consultant, the issue was brought Sunday night in Alabama, where the population is 71 percent black. Black leaders in Vermont have said Sanders has ignored them.
"I'm not saying he himself is racist, but his movement is. It is a reason why no one from the 2016 black outreach department is there working for Senator Sanders," she explained. "It's one thing to talk about it in an article but it was important to me to file a federal lawsuit, to talk about the outreach efforts, to talk about border members said, point blank, straight up, why am I placing so many events in black neighborhoods."
Fox's Steve Doocy cited a BuzzFeed News article saying Figaro was being "anti-immigrant," something Figaro disagrees with. She said she was fired "because of black outreach" and advocating for black incarcerated men.
She said the BuzzFeed story came about because of a POLITICO piece that she claims was pitched by Lucy Flores, the woman who accused Vice President Joe Biden of inappropriately touching her.
In her lawsuit, Figaro dives deeper into what took place during the 2016 campaign.
"After Senator Sanders lost the primary in South Carolina, which was mostly due to the lack of African-American voter support, the campaign abandoned its African-American outreach efforts, particularly in the South. Plaintiff's department, the African-American Outreach Department, became obsolete due to budget cuts, lack of African-American media relations, and limited access to campaign management," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit said the organization stemmed from Sanders' 2016 campaigns and the organizations' leaders are connected to Sanders and/or his 2016 or 2020 president campaigns.
Here's the full lawsuit.
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