Ocasio-Cortez’s Campaign Finance Records, Website Contradict Claims That Merchandise Profits Go to Charity

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) prepares to speak during a rally outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7, 2021. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) this week claimed that proceeds from sales of her campaign merchandise go to charity groups, a claim that appears to be at odds with information on her official website.

The contradicting claims come after Ocasio-Cortez, in a Twitter post on Nov. 2, took aim at billionaire businessman Elon Musk’s new plan to charge Twitter users a monthly fee to keep their accounts verified.

Musk announced the plan earlier this week after initially floating the idea of charging subscribers $20 a month to maintain a verified account.

“Lmao at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that ‘free speech’ is actually an $8/month subscription plan,” the New York lawmaker wrote on Twitter, referencing the new plan.

Musk initially responded to the post by stating that Ocasio-Cortez’s feedback was “appreciated” before asking her to “pay $8.”

In a later post, Musk then shared a screenshot of a “Periwinkle Supporter Crew Sweatshirt” from the lawmaker’s campaign merchandise store, costing approximately $58, alongside a thinking face emoji.

Ocasio-Cortez fired back by stating that she is “Proud of this and always will be.”

“My workers are union, make a living wage, have full healthcare, and aren’t subject to racist treatment in their workplaces,” the lawmaker wrote, adding that all the items listed on her campaign merchandise store are made in the United States.

She added that “all proceeds go to community organizing like our Homework Helpers program which gives private tutoring to kids who’ve needed learning support since COVID.”

(L) U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks on banning stock trades for members of Congress at news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 7, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (R) SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk grimaces after arriving on the red carpet for the Axel Springer award in Berlin, on Dec. 1, 2020. Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

Website, Finance Data Contradict Claims

However, Ocasio-Cortez’s official online merchandise store specifically states that “purchases are campaign contributions.” Campaign finance data since July also does not mention donations to charity organizations.

The Epoch Times has contacted Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign office for comment.

Musk and Ocasio-Cortez have clashed in the past. Back in May, the Tesla CEO told the Democratic lawmaker to “stop hitting on me“ after she took aim at what she called a ”billionaire with an ego problem.”

“Tired of having to collectively stress about what explosion of hate crimes is happening bc [sic] some billionaire with an ego problem unilaterally controls a massive communication platform and skews it because Tucker Carlson or Peter Thiel took him to dinner and made him feel special,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter at the time.

In response, billionaire Musk wrote, “Stop hitting on me, I’m really shy,” alongside a smiley face.

Last week, Ocasio-Cortez also took aim at the Biden administration for failing to include undocumented immigrants in his mass pardoning for the offense of simple possession of marijuana, which he announced in early October.

Speaking on an episode of “Pod Save America” that was released on Oct. 25, the lawmaker discussed how Democrats had not done enough to win over Latino voters.

“And even recently with President [Joe] Biden’s marijuana executive order, I very much applaud that he went there, but he exempted people who were convicted if they were convicted while they were undocumented,” Ocasio-Cortez said.