Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez frequently touts her fundraising as a grass-roots effort that depends on small donations from common individuals — however her marketing campaign coffers are stuffed with massive contributions from celebrities, rich activists and executives, a Put up assessment discovered.
Even lots of AOC’s small-dollar contributions are bigger than meets the attention, underneath an accounting loophole that lets massive donors masquerade as little ones.
Among the many bold-faced names whose identities are buried inside her prolonged Federal Election Fee studies are Jane Fonda, the actress and activist who hosted the lawmaker on her podcast in 2020 – and who earned the notorious “Hanoi Jane” nickname after a controversial go to to Vietnam the place she posed on an anti-aircraft gun used to assault American troops.
Fonda has given $8,300 to the socialist lawmaker and “Squad” member through the years, together with $500 to date within the first half of 2025.
Additionally kicking in to AOC’s $20 million battle chest have been:
- Comedienne Wanda Sykes, who gave $2,000 this 12 months; “Operating on Empty” singer Jackson Browne, who gave $4,850 in 2025 and practically $12,000 since 2020; “Working Lady” star Melanie Griffith, with $250; and “Dream On” actress Wendie Malick, who donated $258.
- “Gone Lady” actor Ben Affleck has chipped in $3,452; “The Avengers” Mark Ruffalo gave $5,063, and lefty filmmaker Michael Moore donated $1,000 — though the trio have sat on their wallets to date this election cycle.
- Boldfaced names outdoors of Hollywood included Franklin Delano Roosevelt III, grandson of the US president, a self-described “radical” economist whose New College Ph.D. dissertation was titled “In the direction of a Marxist Critique of the Cambridge College.” He gave $3,312 to date this 12 months and $10,437 since 2020.
Quite a few beltway bandits additionally contributed. Al Kamen, who for years penned the Washington Put up’s “Within the Loop” column, gave $7,100, then received a partial refund after exceeding the federally allowed contribution restrict. He was AOC’s high donor as of the top of June.
These donors who ply their commerce from powerhouse companies contained in the Beltway embrace Samuel Maruca, a company tax legal professional with DC agency Covington & Burling, and Sarah Tucker, a accomplice at Chicago-based Sidley & Austin who represents banks, vitality and commodity corporations. One other is Debra Greenspan, a accomplice with communications and disaster administration agency FGS World.
Executives embrace Evan Goldberg, founding father of Oracle NetSuite, who gave $6,600 this 12 months; Claire Chouinard, daughter of the founding father of Patagonia and a designer for the corporate, gave $6,300 through the years; and Porter Diehl, Bridgewater Associates’ deputy CEO, gave $3,500 to date this 12 months.
“Ocasio-Cortez’s marketing campaign is fueled by the very Hollywood celebrities, globalists, and D.C. insiders that she rails towards. She manufacturers herself as a grassroots politician, however she is purchased and paid for by elites. Her $15 ‘common donation’ is a lie meant to cover her hypocrisy and corruption, however the American individuals can see proper by way of it,” slammed Kiersten Pels, spokesperson for the Republican Nationwide Committee.
All advised, giant contributors of greater than $200 accounted for 10% of her haul within the first half of 2025 – and near 30% within the 2024 election cycle.
The contributions helped the self-described “Bronx woman” increase $20 million, greater than every other Home member as of her October submitting with the feds.
The socialist lawmaker, who represents components of the Bronx and Queens, boasts that her common donation “floats round $15 to $17.” However lots of her donors are breaking apart their massive bucks contributions into tiny increments.
One Manhattan physician, Tina Dobsevage, gave as many as 130 instances over the previous 12 months – with contributions as small as $1.25. The entire sum was $2,100.
She is one among many donors from high-wealth professions that opted to donate in small sums – thereby driving down the quantity of the common contribution.
One Google engineer, Ghuman Sundeep of California, gave in increments of $10, $15, $50, and as little as $3 over the course of the spring and summer season. One other Google engineer, Niccole Patten, broke her $300 contribution into $25 increments by way of the ActBlue political fundraising service.
One more, Soham Koradia of California, gave a collection of irregular contributions: $5 in June, $5 in Might, $40, $25, and $27 in April, and $5 in Might.
Kevin Ward, the CEO of the Aspen Heart in Colorado, broke up his contributions into $10, $8, $5, $16, $10, and $8 over a interval of two months.
Ocasio-Cortez’ workplace didn’t reply to The Put up’s request for remark.
