Donna Brazile
© ABC News
DNC interim chairwoman Donna Brazile categorically denied that she received a debate question on the death penalty in advance in an interview with Megyn Kelly after the third presidential debate (unrelated to the debate in question). The question was for a Democratic primary town hall hosted by CNN and co-moderated by Roland Martin, the journalist who asked it at the forum. This information was revealed in a recent Wikileaks dump of John Podesta's emails.

"From time to time I get the questions in advance," the email subject was titled in a letter written from Brazile delivered to Podesta's Gmail.

The email read:
On Mar 12, 2016, at 4:39 PM, Donna Brazile wrote: Here's one that worries me about HRC. DEATH PENALTY 19 states and the District of Columbia have banned the death penalty. 31 states, including Ohio, still have the death penalty. According to the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, since 1973, 156 people have been on death row and later set free. Since 1976, 1,414 people have been executed in the U.S. That's 11% of Americans who were sentenced to die, but later exonerated and freed. Should Ohio and the 30 other states join the current list and abolish the death penalty?
Brazile did not give a coherent explanation other than to say she won't respond to content that was stolen, the hacked emails, and that she will not let herself be "persecuted" by Megyn Kelly who grilled her for an explanation. She also accused Kelly of being a "thief."

"As a Christian woman, I understand persecution," Brazile told Kelly. "Your information is false. What you're -- well, for suggestive e-mails were stolen. You're interested and you're like a thief that wants to bring into the night the things that."

"I have seen so many doctored emails. I have seen things that come from me at 2 in the morning that I don't even send. There are several email addresses that I once used. This has not been verified. This is under investigation," Brazile also said.

"Go to Russia," Brazile said as the segment ended.

From the heated exchange:
MEGYN KELLY: You're accused of receiving a debate question whether a CNN town hall where they partnered with TV One that you had this question on March 12th, that verbatim, verbatim was provided by Roland Martin to CNN the next day. How did you get that question, Donna?

DONNA BRAZILE: Well, Kelly, as I play straight up and with you, I did not receive any questions from CNN.

KELLY: Where did you get it.

BRAZILE: What information? Allow me to see what you're talking about?

KELLY: You've got the Wikileaks showing you messaging the Clinton campaign at the March 13th CNN debate.

BRAZILE: As a Christian woman, I understand persecution. your information is false. What you're -- well, for suggestive e-mails were stolen. You're interested and you're like a thief that wants to bring into the night the things that.
Brazile argued she will not "validate falsified information." Brazile said the e-mail is "altered."
KELLY: CNN' Jake Tapper said this was unethical. Someone was unethically helping the Clinton campaign. He said this is very, very upsetting.

BRAZILE: I love CNN

KELLY: This is Jake Tapper: 'My understand is that the e-mails came from Roland Martin and said this is very upsetting and troubling.'

That is your old colleague at CNN not Megyn Kelly. Who gave you that question?

BRAZILE: Megyn, I'll say it on the record. I'm not going to try to validate falsified information. I have my documents. I have my files. Thank God I have not had my personal e-mails ripped off from me and stolen and given to some criminals to come back altered. I have my records and files. And as i said repeatedly, CNN, I never received anything.
Watch the full segment:


The Young Turks also grilled Brazile over the e-mail in the debate spinroom: