"It is particularly troubling and puzzling that she would seemingly buy into false Russian-fueled propaganda, spread by both the Russians and our opponent, about our candidate’s health," former staffers for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign wrote about Donna Brazile (pictured). | AP Photo Top Clinton staffers hit back at Brazile

Top staffers from Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign on Saturday hit back at Donna Brazile's description of the contest in her new book and her reported consideration of dumping Clinton from the party's ticket.

"She is a longtime friend and colleague of many of us and has been an important leader in our party," over 100 former staffers wrote of Brazile in an open letter published Saturday night. "But we do not recognize the campaign she portrays in the book."


Senior campaign officials signed the open letter, including John Podesta, the campaign's chairman; Huma Abedin, the campaign's vice chair and longtime Clinton confidante; and Robby Mook, the campaign's manager.

They take specific aim at a report from The Washington Post that details the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee weighing whether to replace Clinton after the former secretary of state fainted during a Sept. 11 commemoration ceremony in New York last fall.

According to the Post, which obtained a copy of the book, Brazile considered replacing Clinton and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, both of whom had already accepted their party's nominations, with then-Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

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Clinton's fainting incident was played up by now-President Donald Trump and his allies, who questioned whether she had the stamina for the highest office in the land. Clinton's former staffers wrote in their letter that they are aghast that the former leader of their party would buy into such claims.

"It is particularly troubling and puzzling that she would seemingly buy into false Russian-fueled propaganda, spread by both the Russians and our opponent, about our candidate’s health," the staffers wrote.

In the book, the Post reports that Brazile was so fed up with her treatment by top Clinton aides that she compared herself to a slave in the movie "12 Years a Slave."

“I’m not Patsey the slave,” Brazile, who is black, wrote of what she said on a call with campaign officials. “Y’all keep whipping me and whipping me and you never give me any money or any way to do my damn job. I am not going to be your whipping girl!”

Brazile has been the subject of intense criticism from her own party after an excerpt from her book was published this week in POLITICO Magazine.

Brazile wrote that Clinton's campaign took advantage of a joint-fundraising agreement to hold influence over the national party during the primary season — reigniting an internal feud over whether the nomination fight was rigged by the party establishment against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

The Clinton aides ended their letter with a call to unity: "All Democrats should be doing everything they can — canvassing, phone banking, etc. — to help our candidates for Governor of Virginia and New Jersey and the other races around the country next Tuesday."