Outgoing Democratic Party chairwoman won’t even gavel Democratic convention open

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won't even gavel the Democratic National Convention open and close this week, in the wake of boisterous protests from outraged supporters of presidential primary runner-up Bernie Sanders.

"I have decided that in the interest of making sure that we can start the Democratic convention on a high note that I am not going to gavel in the convention," she told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Wasserman Schultz said Sunday she would step down from her post as Democratic National Committee chairwoman at the end of the four-day convention, which begins Monday afternoon. But she insisted she'd still inaugurate and end it -- a defiant move met Monday morning with resounding heckles at the Florida delegation breakfast -- a place where Wasserman Schultz expected to be support.

This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Outgoing Democratic Party chairwoman won’t even gavel Democratic convention open."