Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has been a fundraising juggernaut ever since the Democratic socialist exploded on the political scene as “the future” of the Democrat Party.
But her affinity for the collective ends when it comes to sharing the wealth — in the third quarter of 2019 she raised $1.42 million, beating out Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Her fourth-quarter fundraising almost reached $2 million, for a total of $5 million for the year.
Last quarter @aoc raised more than any Dem in the House. No call time, no wine caves. Average donation of $15.
She and @BernieSanders are proving that grassroots donors can beat corporate money, lobbyists and special interests. Help make waves –> https://t.co/XaVEKnXiMY pic.twitter.com/aWBjEFG2Tc
— corbintrent (@corbintrent) January 1, 2020
And her fellow Democrats aren’t very thrilled with her refusal to contribute to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party’s official campaign arm.
Not only that, but Ocasio-Cortez is building her own fundraising operation for fellow progressive candidates to bypass the official party infrastructure, Fox News reported. An effort that helps primary challengers to incumbent Democrats who are deemed too moderate.
With a lot of help from the progressive group Justice Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez beat 10-term incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., the fourth-ranked Democrat at the time, in the 2018 primary.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., was willing to go on the record to express his concerns about Ocasio-Cortez.
“Sometimes the question comes: ‘Do you want to be in a majority or do you want to be in the minority?’” Meeks told Fox News. “And do you want to be part of a team?”
Records obtained by Fox News show the Ocasio-Cortez has failed to pay any of her $250,000 in “dues” to the DCCC.
“Deadbeat Cortez should pay her bills,” complained a House Democratic aide who wished to remain anonymous. “She’s always whining about people paying their fair share and here she is leaving her friends with the bill.”
The radical freshman is opting to financial back her own hand-picked candidates, as records obtained by Fox News show that she funneled over $300,000 in 2019 alone to candidates she has endorsed by hosting online fundraising campaigns for them.
“I want to help frontline members by putting that money straight into their pocket,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
More from Fox News on candidates supported:
She solicited nearly $18,000 in donations for Marie Newman, who is taking on current Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski, a socially conservative Democrat who opposes abortion rights. She also gave Newman an additional $5,000 directly from her campaign account. Ocasio-Cortez also raised nearly $35,000 in online donations for progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros, who is trying to defeat Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. […]
Cuellar said Democrats should be focused on the larger goal of beating Republicans and retaining the House majority. “To have people try to purify the caucus because they don’t agree with them – 100 percent, I certainly don’t agree with that.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a fellow socialist and 2020 presidential candidate received close to $36,000 from AOC’s online efforts. The other three members of the radical “squad” have also been beneficiaries — Rep. Rashida Tlaib received about $10,000, Rep. Ilhan Omar saw $29,000, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley got a paltry $3,800.
Ocasio-Cortez’s beef with the DCCC is that it protects incumbents over insurgent progressives like herself — see socialists.
“For me personally, I’m not paying D-trip dues,” she said, this being slang for the DCCC.
“One, I don’t agree with the policy around blacklisting groups that help progressive candidates,” she said. “I think we need to evolve as a party and make room for that.”
Democrat leadership in the House announced a policy in the spring of 2019 where consultants who work against Democratic incumbents are barred from working with the DCCC and will be blacklisted from working in future election cycles.
The response from AOC was to stop contributing to the DCCC.
The @DCCC’s new rule to blacklist+boycott anyone who does business w/ primary challengers is extremely divisive & harmful to the party.
My recommendation, if you’re a small-dollar donor: pause your donations to DCCC & give directly to swing candidates instead.
Some great ones:
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 30, 2019
Despite his concerns about a lack of teamwork, Meeks also has a problem with her alliance with Sanders.
“His revolution is to not just to stop the Republicans, it’s to blow up the Democratic Party,” he said.
Meeks can anticipate Bernie’s Army of intolerant progressives to have something to say here.
Based on the online response, the Democratic Party is getting what they deserve for embracing the hard left — here’s a quick sampling from Twitter:
DC Democrats are upset that they let a socialist fox into the hen house and now she’s helping other socialists instead of them.
Let me know where to send the sympathy card, @DNC.
Because you’re all incredibly stupid. https://t.co/nJLJ9oYQn4
— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) January 10, 2020
The Dems are the Party of Hate and they hate each other almost as much as they hate America: AOC riles Dems by refusing to pay party dues, bankrolling colleagues' opponents. #MAGA @realDonaldTrump #AmericaFirst #Dobbshttps://t.co/5RnbgplfeJ
— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) January 10, 2020
Two biggest influences in American politics today. @realDonaldTrump for showing us how great America can be and @RepAOC for showing us what we never want it to become, plus the bonus of Democratic Party suicide. #IA01 #KAG https://t.co/0icAlOugr3 #FoxNews
— Hansen for Congress (IA-01) (@Hansen4Congress) January 10, 2020
https://twitter.com/GiancarloSopo/status/1215658316988342274?s=20
https://twitter.com/DeplorableMadly/status/1215655346276007938?s=20
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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