Another long-shot Democrat ends his presidential campaign, slams Democratic Party on way out
In a video announcing his decision, the Democrat complained that his own party changed the rules in the next debate and essentially excluded him and his platform of campaign-finance reform.
"I may be known in tiny corners of the tubes of the internets, but I am not well known to the American public generally," Lessig said.
"Under the new rules, unless we can time-travel, there is no way that I will qualify," he added. "But is now clear that the party won't let me be a candidate."
Lessig started out his White House bid with the fairly unusual promise to resign from office upon achieving his singular objective of campaign-finance reform, which he argued was key to achieving all other policy-reform measures.
His exit follows two other Democrats ending their campaigns for the party's nomination: former Sen. Jim Webb (D-Virginia) and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (D).
Left in the race are three candidates: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.