Democrats Criticize Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Refusing to Pay Party Dues

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has reportedly refused to donate to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) because it will not back more progressive candidates.

“Instead, Ocasio-Cortez is building her own fundraising operation for fellow progressive candidates to bypass the official Democratic Party infrastructure. Already, she’s actively funding primary challengers to oust certain Democratic colleagues,” according to Fox News.

The report continued:

Their gripe is that Ocasio-Cortez hasn’t given any money to the DCCC, the party arm with the sole job of electing Democrats to the House. Records obtained by Fox News show the New York Democrat has failed to pay any of her $250,000 in “dues” to the DCCC.

Her goose egg of a contribution is no accident. Ocasio-Cortez says she has beef with the DCCC and she’ll withhold her money in protest of how the Democratic Party won’t back insurgent progressive primary candidates, like herself, in the name of protecting incumbents.

However, DCCC chairwoman Cheri Bustos said despite Ocasio-Cortez’s refusal to donate, the committee made plenty of money without her help.

“That’s always up to individual members so I guess I don’t think about it one way or another. We’re raising record amounts of money from our members.”

In March, Ocasio-Cortez encouraged her Twitter followers to “pause” their donations to the DCCC, then listed progressive candidates whose campaigns they should help fund:

Monday, the freshman congresswoman suggested that one party for everyone on the left is too broad, according to Breitbart News.

“In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party, but in America, we are,” she stated.

However, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said he is concerned about Ocasio-Cortez’s alliance with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

“His revolution is to not just to stop the Republicans, it’s to blow up the Democratic Party,” he commented, as Fox News reported, adding that if the freshman congresswoman wants to change the party, she needs to help fund it.

“Even if you want to change it, you’ve got to invest in it. That concerns me.”