In Leaked Recordings, DNC Shown Controlling Donor Access

The release of a trove of "embarrassing" hacked internal emails and private voicemail recordings reveal not only the unseemly deal-making involved in recruiting high-dollar donations for political campaigns, but the role fundraising officials play in approving and denying access to President Obama and other top officials.

At least two former U.S. ambassadors called the DNC to speak about personal meetings with the president, according to audio recordings of the calls included in the leaks. One is heard on a recording from May for then-DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz seeking to confirm plans to attend a "small dinner" with President Obama. Another has a staffer call DNC fundraising officials for tickets to a St. Patrick's Day event with the president.

"We've received an invitation to the vice president's breakfast, but not the White House reception," the staffer says in a February recording. Later the staffer calls back to confirm that the invitation has been received.

Among the more than 19,000 emails that cybersecurity experts suspect were stolen by Russian state-sponsored hackers and published by WikiLeaks are email exchanges that discusses a range of donor data and transactions.

There are emails that describe a donor angling for seats next to President Obama at a roundtable discussion, and one in which staffers apportion seats for donors at a White House State Dinner. In one, a major contributor from Maryland who has cancer is bumped from a seat next to the president because another, more prolific giver is attending the same event.

"A lot of people unfortunately get sick," writes Finance Director Jordan Kaplan, who oversees DNC fundraising and is the author of hundreds of the leaked emails.

Kaplan told ABC News this week he has been "embarrassed" to see the internal communication exposed to the world.

"It was conversation we were having amongst our team, and again, I'm sorry people have read them, and I'm embarrassed it's out there," Kaplan said.

In emails, Kaplan asks finance staff to compile a list of high-dollar donors who want to play golf with President Obama. A draft of the list of presidential golf partners is also among the hacked documents.

More significant, said Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, is that trusted donors saw their personal information exposed to the world.

"What was disclosed is the personal information of our donors and it's always worrisome when personal information is stolen," Podesta told ABC News. "And that's true whether it's Target or Sony or, or the DNC."

A review of the documents by ABC News found the material includes detailed personal information about many of the party's wealthy supporters. One file, titled "Big Spreadsheet of All Things," appears to list every single donation made to the party, to Hillary Clinton and to President Obama, and details about each event where money was raised.

A number of the emails expose not only personal information about the donors, but the sensitive task of vetting donors to determine if the candidate can feel comfortable accepting their money, or being seated next to them at an event.

The White House vetting team, for instance, declined to allow Obama to attend a proposed event in Miami hosted by the well-known lawyer Roy Black. The concern with Black appears to be the defendants he represents. Black had hosted a fundraiser for Obama in 2007, the email says, but since that time "Black defended Jeffrey Epstein, who was prosecuted this year for multiple charges of sexual abuse against at least 34 underage girls between 1999 and 2007." In 2007 Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida state charge of soliciting prostitution.

That case has been a particularly sensitive point with Democratic officials because Republican nominee Donald Trump, in a speech to a conservative group in 2015, raised questions about President Bill Clinton's past friendship with Epstein, including flights Clinton took on Epstein's jet. The email goes on to cite Black's defense of other "unsavory characters," and his presence at "parties with flagged celebrities." Black did not respond to ABC News email and phone messages left at his Florida office seeking comment.

Another lengthy email exchange surrounds a prolific Democratic donor from Chicago, Niranjan Shah, and concerns about his "ties to [disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod] Blagojevich," as well as purported scandals and negative news reports surrounding his tenure as a university trustee. Shah sought to attend a Chicago roundtable event where he would pose for a photo with Obama.

The blunt replies come from Obama staff. "I don't think we should include him," one writes. "He still fails on our end as well," says another.

The language was hurtful to Shah's daughter, Smita Shah, who told ABC News her father rose from nothing and earned his success and supported politicians in order to participate in the democratic process.

Many of the leaked emails show only snippets of electronic conversations. For instance, there is discussion with a lobbyist from the Podesta Group about coordinating speech writing for the convention. It is not clear if the lobbyist wound up overseeing speechwriting at the convention - he did not respond to requests for comment.

Top Democratic fundraisers told ABC News they are certainly unhappy to see the emails exposed. But they do not think the emails show anything the general public has not seen before from both parties.

John Cordisco, Chairman of the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Democratic Committee, said as long as fundraising is an element of the political process, these kinds of transactions will also be present.

"If you can show me in the past 20 years where that has not taken place, I want to see it," he said.