This fundraiser is for the birds.
Energy-hungry “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) cooked up a brand new technique to have her cake and eat it too this Thanksgiving – by tying her annual turkey giveaway to her huge reelection marketing campaign enterprise. And critics are crying fowl.
“Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away,” the self-described “Bronx lady” wrote in an electronic mail pitch final week. “Will you chip in $5 or something you possibly can at this time to assist us deliver the enjoyment of the vacation season into properties round NYC this yr?”
However clicking on the contribution hyperlink sends folks on to a marketing campaign fundraising web page operated by ActBlue, the place donors are prompted to make a one-time or recurring month-to-month donation.
Deciding on a greenback quantity brings a disclosure that the attraction is “paid for by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress” and a reminder that donations usually are not deductible as charitable contributions at tax time.
Like dozens of pols throughout Gotham, AOC has given away a whole lot of gobblers since 2019, however as rumors swirl about her run for Senate and even the White Home in 2028, she determined to vary her fundraising recipe.
As an alternative of getting supporters ship donations straight to neighborhood organizations organizing turkey drives — like she did in 2021 when she reported elevating $33,589.64 for 3 native charities — she’s having folks ship cash to her marketing campaign.
“A marketing campaign isn’t presupposed to be a pass-through for charitable work,” stated former Metropolis Council Minority Chief Joe Borelli. “What if she raised sufficient cash for one million turkeys? Would she purchase one million turkeys, or would she maintain $990,000 for her marketing campaign after which throw the remainder of the turkeys out the again of a truck and take a photo-op?
“It is a clear case of why a marketing campaign isn’t a charitable group,” he added.
Metropolis Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens) — who’s hosted turkey drives of his personal with out in search of donations from the general public — agreed.
“Socialists like AOC and Mamdani love to vow every part totally free, however by some means it at all times ends with them shaking down working folks underneath the guise of neighborhood good will,” he advised The Publish.
“It’s a typical bait and swap, pretending to be for the folks whereas quietly pillaging them for each greenback they’ll get.”
Of the greater than a dozen NYC politicians with annual turkey drives reviewed by The Publish, solely two — AOC and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) — used marketing campaign funds, and AOC was the one one to beg constituents for cash. Meeks has been named the most corrupt member of Congress a number of years in a row.
Others as a substitute coordinate between native charities, neighborhood teams or grocery shops donating the birds, and constituents in want. Metropolis Council Member Sandra Ung (D-Flushing), for instance, handed out 526 turkeys final yr donated by space companies.
A evaluate of Federal Election Fee information for 2024 reveals AOC’s marketing campaign did make a $13,101 buy at Westside Meals within the Bronx three days earlier than Thanksgiving – probably to acquire the birds.
“She’s pitching: give it to me to assist out folks, after which it says it’s going to her profit,” stated Paul Kamenar of the Nationwide Authorized and Coverage Heart. It’s a “shady deal she’s cooking up right here. It seems that AOC’s turkey giveaway mission could also be a fraudulent scheme to solicit donations for her marketing campaign.”
“Clearly, a full investigation and audit should be performed.”
The FEC advised The Publish politicians who solicit donations on behalf of neighborhood organizations – like AOC did in her electronic mail blast – usually are not required to reveal how a lot they increase by means of the solicitation or how they spend these particular funds — that means there’s no official technique to know what number of of these {dollars} flip into precise turkeys, or if voters are simply getting stuffed.
AOC’s marketing campaign refused to elucidate why it modified its recipe this time.
“For our Thanksgiving turkey fundraiser, we set a purpose that we increase in the direction of and if we surpass it then we order extra,” stated her marketing campaign supervisor Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben.
The rep boasted about her turkey giveaway Saturday in an Instagram video.
“I wish to discuss to you all about all of the contributions you’ve made,” she tells her 9.5 million followers in a narrative.
“We’ve been capable of present over 1,600 turkeys within the Bronx, after which your whole assist and fundraising has raised an extra $20,000 above our increase purpose which we’re giving 100% to native meals pantries to assist feed households this Thanksgiving.”
However in previous years, AOC solely got here up with fuzzy math when she talked turkey. She stated in her on-line pitch this yr that she handed out 600 turkeys in 2024. However in her marketing campaign video from that yr the quantity was as much as 1,000 gobblers. She put her 2021 chook quantity at 650.
Her marketing campaign didn’t straight reply to follow-up questions concerning the discrepancies.
“Ocasio-Cortez is working a con underneath the guise of a charity drive,” slammed Kiersten Pels, spokesperson for the Republican Nationwide Committee.
“Slapping a ‘turkey’ label on a marketing campaign fundraiser to trick voters into pondering they’re serving to charities is strictly the form of rip-off that she and the socialist wing of the Democratic Social gathering depend on.”
