there were nine debates that both Clinton and Sanders participated in during the primaries, as well as a number of town halls. Some of Wasserman Schultz's actions that the news covered during the primaries were reducing the debate schedule; uninviting former DNC Vice Chair Tulsi Gabbard to the first primary debate; halting the Sanders campaign's access to DNC databases after a staffer from his campaign attempted to exploit a security breach; defending the superdelegate system used in the Democratic primaries; rescinding a prior ban on corporate donations; and accusing Sanders supporters of violence at the Nevada Convention. Resignation/controversies After WikiLeaks published DNC emails that showed that some DNC staffers had actively supported Clinton against Sanders in the primary, Wasserman Schultz tendered her resignation as head of the DNC, to become effective as of the close of the nominating convention in Philadelphia. According to reports in The Washington Post, Wasserman Schultz strongly resisted suggestions she resign until a phone call from Obama persuaded her. After a speech at the convention before the Florida delegation during which Wasserman Schultz was "booed off stage" by Sanders supporters, the DNC decided that she would not open the convention. 2017 House IT staff accused In February 2017 Politico and BuzzFeed reported Capitol Police accused five IT staffers (who worked for more than 30 House Democrats including Wasserman Schultz) of trying to steal House computer equipment and violating House security policies. As of February 6, 2017, Politico noted that Wasserman Schultz was one of several House members who did not terminate the suspected staffers after the criminal complaints. In July 2017, one of the accused staffers, Imran Awan, was arrested for making a false statement on a bank loan application. After his arrest, Wasserman Schultz's office fired Awan. Wasserman Schultz later defended her decision not to fire Awan earlier, saying, "I believe that I did the right thing, and I would do it again." In 2018, The Washington Post reported: Federal prosecutors concluded an 18-month investigation into a former congressional technology staffer on Tuesday by publicly debunking allegations — promoted by conservative media and President Trump — suggesting he was a Pakistani operative who stole government secrets with cover from House Democrats. As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Imran Awan pleaded guilty to a relatively minor offense unrelated to his work on Capitol Hill: making a false statement on a bank loan application. U.S. prosecutors