They are intent on attacking AOC

[mfcorey1]

Payments to corporation owned by Ocasio-Cortez aide come under scrutiny


ep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)’s chief of staff helped establish two political action committees that paid a corporation he ran more than $1 million in 2016 and 2017, federal campaign finance records show.

Brand New Congress LLC, the corporation owned by Saikat Chakrabarti, was also paid $18,880 for strategic consulting by Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional campaign in 2017, records show. The following year, he worked as a volunteer to manage her campaign, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The arrangement, first reported by conservative outlets, left hidden who ultimately profited from the payments — a sharp juxtaposition with Ocasio-Cortez’s calls for transparency in politics. She has called dark money “the enemy to democracy.”


The money that flowed to her chief of staff’s corporation have subjected the first-term congresswoman to critics’ charges of hypocrisy. On Monday, a conservative group filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that the PACs failed to properly disclose their spending.

David Mitrani, attorney for the PACs, the LLC and Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign, said in a statement Tuesday that all four entities “fully complied with the law and the highest ethical standards.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/payments-to-corporation-owned-by-ocasio-cortez-aide-come-under-scrutiny/ar-BBUq3Yq?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout

[2naSalit]

1. Of course they are,

they are scared of her.

[California_Republic]

4. That's why they beat on Hillary for years

That’s why they beat on Hillary for years. Those they believe will rise to Democratic leader ship they begin the process of soiling them early

We should just take this as a good sign

[mercuryblues]

21. You beat me to this

I remember right after Bill's inauguration the rumors about Hillary throwing a lamp at Bill that night and hitting him. The right ate that up. It didn't matter that Bill never had a bruise or cut. Depending on the article it was either a book, lamp or shoe. IOW the story was made up to set the stage for all the lies they told about her. Right up to pedophilia, killing Foster and dealing drugs.

[mitch96]

6. They are probably combing the internets for dirt on her....

Worse yet they would get a PI to shadow her to get dirt.. These people are low life scum. Better yet, whale shit... that sits at the bottom of the ocean. Hope she can weather the storm of bull shit they are gonna throw at her...
m

[2naSalit]

8. I was not willing to

jump on her bandwagon to begin with but I am warming up to her in a hurry. Nobody's perfect but she has a strong will and a lot of smarts, I think she can weather the storms. At least I hope she does.

Having been a trailblazing woman all my life. I have plenty of battle scars for standing up for myself. Sadly, because I was fighting all those wars with little to no support, I have little to show for all that effort other than the scars.

[mitch96]

11. "I have little to show for all that effort other than the scars."

True warriors have the scars to prove they were in the fight...
m

[Power 2 the People]

14. Scared shitless.

[madville]

28. Who, the Democratic leadership?

Because the Republicans and Fox News love her.

[Eliot Rosewater]

30. Fox and the modern GOP will use her as why democrats are left wing nuts bent on socialism.

I am not commenting AT ALL about AOC and who she is and isnt but on the IQ of the fox propaganda network viewer who will believe she is satan or a socialist, she is neither.

[duforsure]

2. She poses a huge risk for them

Because she's smart, a woman, and she's shown us she can think on her feet , and give it back to them easily making them look foolish, and they hate that. The last Cohen House appearance she showed how to really interview and get results from it. She did a wonderful job , and wish others would do better with their questioning like she did. She is getting results too, because they wouldn't attack her if she didn't.

[jcmaine72]

3. The more they attack her the stronger she gets.

It's obvious that the attacks on AOC won't cease until the people that hate her have succeeded in detouring her political career off a cliff. What those who want her (and Rep Omar for that matter) destroyed didn't count on, however, was that there's a new wave of change sweeping across this nation. She is just what many citizens in this nation have been hoping for, especially since the "election" of the Orange turd.

AOC is more than capable of taking care of herself, but she now has a growing legion of loyal supporters who share her vision for the future of this nation and will stand up to the liars, smear merchants and scumbags who are intent on destroying her. They're deathly afraid of her, as well they should be.

Change is coming.

[Demsrule86]

36. That is not really true. If this continues she will be demonized just like Hillary.

[jcmaine72]

37. The difference being that I firmly believe AOC is a generational voice.

An outsider. Something new. Something different. Something needed. Something special.

Hillary, on the other hand, well...I don't want to run afoul of anyone here, so suffice it to say that I don't believe she is any of those things.

That said, of course, Hillary was robbed and should be our President today.

[Demsrule86]

40. Hillary is one of the smartest women ever...and she did represent a generational change...how many

women her age went to law school? So you are wrong-and this kind of shows how successful the GOP was....but guess what in five or 10 years AOC won't be new either...and if she ever wants a statewide or national run, these attacks will handicap her. I like her. But don't kid yourself...the GOP is out to destroy her and probably will if we don't stop eating our own...some stupid story about a campaign finance issue today about AOC where at the end...it is reported that it was not a violation...blah blah. You have to recognize the truth if we are to stop this sort of thing from happening. And may I just say, that your remarks about Hillary and not wanting to offend are condescending and offensive. Hillary won millions more votes than Trump and had some supposedly on our side not bought into the bullshit spread by Republicans, she would be president today.

[jcmaine72]

42. I disagree with your suggestion in the strongest terms possible that the GOP was instrumental in any

way, shape or form in shaping my opinion of Hillary, or anything, or anyone else, for that matter. That's quite a leap to make about someone you don't know from a hole in the wall, but whatever. You believe what you want.

And with that, we'll just go our separate ways here. You can have the last word if you want. Such things mean nothing to me.

[riverine]

5. AOC is going to be very good but she has a lot to learn

Her Green New Deal was ripe for ridicule.

When a Democratic Senator from Hawaii takes a shot at it you know its not thought out.

(How would you get to Hawaii if you get rid of all air travel?)

[Kaleva]

12. Parroting RW talking points is frowned upon here. It's a violation of TOS.

Your comment:

&quot How would you get to Hawaii if you get rid of all air travel?)"

One sees the above in numerous right wing sites. Breitbart, Fox, Free Republic, Americans For Tax Reform, Townhall, Hannity, daily caller and several more.

Sen Mazie Hirono has stated that opposing the Green Deal is the "a crazy position".

[riverine]

15. The Senator clearly confirmed that she replied "That will make it hard to get to Hawaii".

No question that the GOP owns the "crazy position".

But for the record I quoted the Senator even if she was joking as Andrea Mitchell suggested.

[Kaleva]

16. So do you still think AOC has a lot to learn?

Your comment:

"Her Green New Deal was ripe for ridicule."

Right wingers agree with you as to the above.

Your comment:

"But for the record I quoted the Senator..."

The source of the supposed quote is a tweet by a Fox News correspondent.

Here's a hit job on Senator Hirono from Hannity's site:

"Hawaiian Senator Mazie Hirono left millions of Americans scratching their heads Monday; bizarrely suggesting that eliminating air travel is not “the crazy position” in combatting climate change.

Hirono was speaking with MSNBC when she was asked to clarify her position regarding the ‘Green New Deal’ championed by prominent Democrats from across the country."

https://943wsc.iheart.com/featured/the-sean-hannity-show/content/2019-03-04-geography-101-democratic-senator-from-hawaii-says-eliminating-air-travel-not-crazy/

For the record, I believe the rules state that if one quotes excerpts from an article, one has to provide a link to the full article.

[R B Garr]

18. Hirono was saying it's crazy to not acknowledge climate

change. She said the Green New Deal was just an acknowledgement of climate change. She didn’t confirm that she thinks eliminating airfare is “not crazy”. The only mention of airfare was in the beginning when she acknowledged her quip that eliminating airfare would make it hard for Hawaii.

[LakeArenal]

7. Swift boating alive and well

[DeminPennswoods]

9. She scrares the living bejeebers out of them

If this were "Guys and Dolls", they'd be singing "sit down you're rocking the boat".

[BlueJac]

10. The GOP hate strong women...

they are crapping their pants, which is a good sign of their fear of her.

[brooklynite]

13. Who is "they" and what is wrong with bringing up this issue?

[George II]

22. Hah. I implied the same thing below before I read this. Your comment is 100% correct.

[RelativelyJones]

26. I don't get it either. No one is beyond reproach.

[uponit7771]

41. True, but reproach about nothing is not reproach

[ehrnst]

17. WAPO? Why would they be intent on "attacking AOC"?

If they were, why would they have pulblished these articles?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/02/16/conservatives-cant-stop-obsessing-over-ocasio-cortez-their-latest-target-her-boyfriend/


https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-ravenous-hysteria-over-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-just-reached-a-new-level-of-crazy/2019/03/04/107e176a-3e7b-11e9-922c-64d6b7840b82_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/03/01/ocasio-cortez-new-house-members-showed-how-do-hearing-right/

[George II]

19. Maybe "they" (whoever your "they" refers to) are intent on FEC compliance?

[CrossingTheRubicon]

20. Right. Given the record of Brand New Congress/Justice Democrats (basically the same thing...

under two different names) attacking Democrats while calling for the elimination of "dark money" while they are skirting with the edge of campaign finance laws themselves is disconcerting, to say the least.

Follow the money.

[George II]

23. Over the course of one year (Sept 2017 to Sept 2018) Justice Democrats have had....

...FIVE different Treasurers. Not concluding anything specific but perhaps once they took the job they weren't interested in the methods of the organization? At one time or another one individual, Nasim Thompson, was treasurer of each (although not at the same time)

I was treasurer for a number of campaign and party committees and two PACs over the years. I sometimes had to fight tooth and nail to make sure everything we did with respect to soliciting contributions and spending money was completely above board and legal. I even kept detailed records of so-called "small donors" that are not required to be itemized.

[Eliot Rosewater]

31. People arent going to hear you. Just like many dont hear lots of things.

If people LOOKED at these groups you mention CLOSELY they would see things.

But they wont.

I know that for a fact.

[ehrnst]

24. Yes, AOC has nothing to worry about if all is in compliance.

And that's easy to show with the paperwork.

And even if there is something amiss in the paperwork, other candidates have been told by the FEC that they were not in compliance, they corrected the issue, and have come back to run again.

[melman]

25. " first reported by conservative outlets"

Yes, and certain people have just been dying for it to show up in a real paper.

Desperately scouring the internet for an acceptable source.

[ehrnst]

27. Yes. And the real papers didn't carry it until there was something to it other than

conservative bias sites pushing it.

"First reported by conservative outlets" is an accurate statement, and real journalists wouldn't leave that out, because it implies they reported it first.

Who are the 'certain people' you are talking about?

[melman]

29. Good to know

I suppose one can learn a lot by monitoring a situation closely. Thanks for the info.

[ehrnst]

43. You're welcome. Who are the "certain people" you were referring to? (nt)

[George II]

49. Both CNN and NBC have now reported on this.

[uponit7771]

39. ****THIS!!!****

[forklift]

32. Has AOC responded to these allegations yet?

She is usually quite swift in countering -- either via a tweet or a press releasae.

It would be strange if she is silent.

[lapucelle]

35. According to the Washington Post

“There is no violation” of campaign finance law, Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News on Tuesday. It is unclear whether she had knowledge of the payments to Chakrabarti’s company

.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/payments-to-corporation-owned-by-ocasio-cortez-aide-come-under-scrutiny/2019/03/05/ae5045ee-3f61-11e9-9361-301ffb5bd5e6_story.html?utm_term=.7d8335447903

[forklift]

38. Fascinating

(In my best Mr. Spock impression)

[George II]

45. Told Fox News?

[lapucelle]

48. I think a Fox reporter asked her at an airport.

Has she put out a response on social media? There is nothing illegal about limiting transparency and disclosure to the minimum requirements under the statute.

I would imagine that lots of PACs and politicians do it.

Plus ça change

[lindysalsagal]

33. She's a slightly more enticing target than Elizabeth Warren and HRC.

They're republicans. THey'll settle for whatever they can get without trying, brains, or hard work.

[lapucelle]

34. There is nothing illegal about limiting disclosure and transparency

to that which is legally required, as long as statutory minimums are met.

Politicians and PACs do this everyday.

[ehrnst]

44. Our Revolution among them.

It's why so many OR staffers quit when they found out that OR could accept dark money, and didn't have to be transparent about it.

[George II]

46. CNN just reported on this. I guess we can toss them into the "They" category now, too.

[ehrnst]

47. I saw that.

Paul Ryan, a top lawyer for Common Cause and an advocate for greater transparency in politics, said the dispute over whether the committees needed to disclose information about who ultimately received payments from Chakrabarti's company "is rooted in weak disclosure requirements" at the FEC. Under the agency's rules, for instance, a political committee must provide memos listing all the vendors paid through a campaign credit card, but the agency has not required campaign vendors to detail their payments to other vendors in a similar fashion, he said.

However, Ryan said the Federal Election Commission could balk at another aspect of the committees' reports: the broad category of "strategic consulting" that committees used to describe Brand New Congress LLC's work on their behalf. If the corporation undertook polling, fundraising and other campaign activities on behalf of candidates and committees, commissioners could conclude that they did not accurately describe those activities in their filings, he said.
..........................................................

Chakrabarti said the groups made no secret of the plans. He discussed the strategy in a 2016 MSNBC interview, and the PACs posted explanations about the LLC's role on their websites.

"We were transparent about it from the start," he said Tuesday on Twitter.

Even so, Adav Noti, senior director of trial litigation at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, said the committees could be exposed to potential violations over how they reported the spending to the Federal Election Commission.

"They took in a pretty serious amount of money, and on their FEC reports, all they disclosed in terms of how they spent it was that they made a bunch of big payments to an affiliated LLC," said Noti, a former lawyer with the Federal Election Commission.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/06/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-chief-of-staff-scrutiny/index.html