DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will resign after the Democratic convention

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Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will step down after the party's convention this week, following leaked internal emails that showed  key members of the organization speaking critically of Sen. Bernie Sanders in his primary fight against Hillary Clinton.

In a statement Sunday afternoon, the chair touted her accomplishments running the DNC during President Barack Obama's reelection campaign but acknowledged that her resignation may help ease concerns about institutional bias against Sanders.

"As the mother of my three amazing children and the Representative of Florida’s 23rd congressional district, I know that electing Hillary Clinton as our next president is critical for America’s future. I look forward to serving as a surrogate for her campaign in Florida and across the country to ensure her victory," Schultz said.

She added:

"Going forward, the best way for me to accomplish those goals is to step down as Party Chair at the end of this convention. As Party Chair, this week I will open and close the Convention and I will address our delegates about the stakes involved in this election not only for Democrats, but for all Americans."

"We have planned a great and unified Convention this week and I hope and expect that the DNC team that has worked so hard to get us to this point will have the strong support of all Democrats in making sure this is the best convention we have ever had."

Vice Chair Donna Brazile, who said Sunday that she apologized to the Sanders campaign for the emails, will serve as the interim chair.

The chair has faced increasing pressure to step down after internal emails showed top staffers considering leaking negative information about Sanders, as he publicly criticized the chair for alleged bias against his campaign. Among other things, top Democratic officials were shown to have scoffed at Sanders supporters and even at one point questioned Sanders' religious beliefs.

DNC Vice Chair R.T. Rybak, who was an unusually vocal critic of the chair's leadership, told Business Insider that he heard about Schultz's resignation from a reporter Sunday afternoon. The former Minneapolis mayor said he was disturbed by the content of the emails and applauded Brazile's selection as interim chair.

"The emails were very disturbing with some serious issues and it required immediate action," Rybak said.

"This requires constant scrutiny to make sure that the DNC stays the neutral player it must be in party contests. That's going to be a long conversation that will start right after this election, but by resigning today, it allows us to spend the next couple months talking about how to win. Then after that it allows us to talk a lot about party reform."

Rybak acknowledged the institutional challenges that can keep the DNC from connecting with grassroots voters. The mayor suggested that he'd be open to electing, rather than appointing, a DNC chair in the future, noting former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's bid for DNC chair in 2005.

"I was appointed by President Obama, and that makes it harder to hold someone like me accountable," Rybak said.

He added: "One of the best exercises in party democracy was when Howard Dean chose to run a campaign for DNC chair. We should be talking about that when the election is over, about whether the contemporary party should bring more democracy into choosing people who run the party."

While Schultz's resignation may help quell discontent on the left, it's unclear what the impact will be on the DNC in the long run. If elected, the incoming president typically appoints an ally to head the party organization. Indeed, the Clinton campaign effectively took control of the DNC by appointing former SEIU political director Brandon Davis as the chief of staff of the DNC.

Following Sunday's announcement, Clinton praised Schultz in a statement, and promised to campaign for her reelection in Florida.

"There's simply no one better at taking the fight to the Republicans than Debbie — which is why I am glad that she has agreed to serve as honorary chair of my campaign's 50-state program to gain ground and elect Democrats in every part of the country, and will continue to serve as a surrogate for my campaign nationally, in Florida, and in other key states," Clinton said.

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