Iowa precinct chair hung up on when calling state party while live on CNN

The caucus chairman of a precinct in Iowa’s Story County was hung up on by someone at the Iowa Democratic Party as he attempted to report his precinct’s caucus results to party officials in a moment captured live on CNN.

During an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Story County precinct captain Shawn Sebastian revealed that he had been on hold with the Iowa state party for more than an hour before the call was answered.

“Well, Wolf, I have been on hold for more than an hour with the Iowa Democratic Party,” Sebastian says in the clip before a woman’s voice is heard on the line.

“Hi? Hello?” Sebastian is heard saying after explaining to Blitzer that he has to take the call.

“They hung up on me. They hung up on me,” Sebastian adds after a beat of silence, chuckling. “I’ve got to get back in line.”

Oh my god@shawnsebastian, a Story County precinct captain, had been on hold with the Iowa Democratic Party for over an hour trying to report results.

CNN had him on to talk about the process. While on air, he got off hold.

Before he could get back to the call, IA Dems hung up pic.twitter.com/oIs7dC5buq

— jordan (@JordanUhl) February 4, 2020

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The moment occurred as chaos appeared to reign at Monday’s caucuses across Iowa amid reports of problems with an app used by the state party to record caucus results, which reportedly was not functioning correctly as the caucuses began.

— Updates story to clarify the call was with the Iowa Democratic Party