Nevada Democrats file formal complaint over convention chaos

The State Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with the Democratic National Committee against the Sanders campaign for encouraging "dangerous" behavior at the state convention.

Saturday's convention at the Paris Hotel Casino in Las Vegas began with boos and catcalls as a count of delegates in attendance was read.

It ended 12 hours later with hotel security and law enforcement clearing the room for safety concerns.

The hours in between were marked with frequent protests as Sanders supporters rushed the stage repeatedly.

"They came ready to do battle,, but to do battle,"" says state Vice Chairman Chris Wicker, who was co-chairing the convention.

Epithets were shouted. Chairs were thrown. Senator Barbara Boxer of California was greeted with lewd obscenities.

"I've never seen a United States senator treated as badly as she was."

Wicker himself had to be escorted along with his wife to safety as they left.

It didn't stop there. Following the convention, Sanders supporters apparently posted personal contact information for State Chairwoman Roberta Lange online and death threats followed.

One said she should be publicly hanged. Others said they knew where her grandchildren went to school. The threats apparently continued for days.

Wicker says Sanders staff members fed their supporters' anger with false reports that more than 60 of their delegates had been unfairly excluded.

In fact, he says some were credentialed. Those who weren't, weren't registered or even in attendance. A few Clinton delegates were also excluded, but her campaign out-organized its rivals, showing up with a much greater percentage of its delegates.

In the end Clinton received 20 delegates to the national convention, Sanders 15. Wicker said most slots were already allocated by the results of the February caucus which Clinton won.

The best outcome for Sanders, he said, would have been 18 for Clinton, 17 for him. In other words, all the chaos that followed was over two delegates.

"High-level Sanders staff members did nothing to help the situation. In fact, they did everything to make it worse."

The Sanders campaign was slow to respond or apologize. Late Tuesday, Senator Sanders called the allegations "nonsense" adding he condemned "any and all forms of violence, including the personal harassment of individuals." and said his supporters had been treated unfairly.

Tuesday morning on CNN, Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver put the blame on the Nevada party.

"The state party, there has a lot of problems. They run things very poorly. It's been done very undemocratically."

"I was there and I know what Jeff Weaver said was false," says Wicker.. "And so I just think its atrocious."

Wicker says the misinformation about the delegates and what really happened at the convention has continued online. He adds that most Sanders supporters are good people who've been drawn to the Vermont Senator's message.

"We would love nothing more than to welcome them into the Democratic party and have them take roles, but we're not going to be ruled by a mob."

The incident has some worried that it's a prelude to what might happen at the National Convention in Philadelphia in July,

The state party's complaint raises that possibility, warning the DNC that having witnessed the "glee" with which some Sanders supporters engaged in such destructive behavior... they should expect similar tactics at the National Convention in July.