AOC and her puppet-master Chakrabarti Scandal #1: admission of illegal control of a PAC

American Thinker ^ | 03/05/2019 | Thomas Lifson

[SeekAndFind]

Two separate but related scandals are rocking Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her puppet-master Saikat Chakrabarti — the man who recruited, trained, and financed her election victory, and who now is her chief of staff.

Scandal number one is well explained by Andrew Kerr of the Daily Caller News Foundation.  In essence, federal campaign finance law allows donations larger than the $2,500 limit for contributions to actual campaigns if they are sent to a political action committee (PAC) but strictly forbids control of PACs by candidates or campaigns.  There is strong evidence that Ocasio-Cortez and Chakrabarti controlled just such a PAC and may have made deliberate efforts to conceal that.  The concealment would be a key issue in determining whether a civil penalty (fines) or criminal penalties (prison) would be in order if the violations are proven.

Saikat Chakrabarti (photo credit: Twitter).

Because of the complexity of campaign finance law, the article explaining the situation is long.  If you have the time, you should read the whole thing.  Some key excerpts:

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti obtained majority control of Justice Democrats PAC in December 2017, according to archived copies of the group's website, and the two appear to retain their control of the group, according to corporate filings obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation.  If the Federal Election Commission (FEC) finds that the New York Democrat's campaign operated in affiliation with the PAC, which had raised more than $1.8 million before her June 2018 primary, it would open them up to "massive reporting violations, probably at least some illegal contribution violations exceeding the lawful limits," former FEC commissioner Brad Smith said.

[Steely Tom]

She done her little “happy dance” lately?

[butlerweave]

She’ll get a few Tattoos to show her prison mates she means business

[montag813]

Pelosi just thanked her chief of staff for leaking this to DC

[Steely Tom]

They should look at Ilhan Omar too. She and A-O-C worked together, hand-in-hand.

[Jumper]

She is finished in congress for the election she just won. She might run after prison. Follow the monies.

[moovova]

Well, I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.

[entropy12]

Big mistake trying to take AOC out of the limelight. She is the gift that keeps on giving to conservatives. We should do everything possible to make her even more powerful voice in the Rat party.

[posterchild]

She’s probably getting vocal fry lessons for her testimony.

[Geronimo]

The Congressional Black Caucus don’t appreciate this uppity-Puerto-Rican girl from the Bronx monopolising the limelight....

[dead]

[ifinnegan]

Lol. That’s great!

[TomGuy]

It’s okay, though, like she knows about as much about campaign finance law like she knows about economics, so no prob. She’s doing it like for the little people, ya know.

[/s]

[redangus]

Nothing will happen to her unless the progressive powers that be think she more of a liability than an asset. If they decide she is useful to them then she skates like all liberal do when caught red handed.