AOC campaign fundsโ Benefit From Turkey โคGiveaway Solicitation
WASHINGTON, โD.C. – An email blast from Representative โฃalexandria ocasio-Cortez’s campaign soliciting donations for a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway directs funds toโ her campaign coffers, not directly to community organizations, according to a report by โข The New York Post.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) confirmed โthat politicians are not required to disclose howโค much money is raised through solicitations for community organizations or how those funds are spent, leaving the public without a clear accounting of how โขdonations translate into aid.
This year, AOC’s campaign manager, Oliverโ Hidalgo-Wohlleben, stated, “For our Thanksgiving turkey fundraiser, weโ set โa goal that we raise towards and if we surpassโข it then we orderโค more.”
Despite claiming to have provided over 1,600 turkeys in the bronx and raised an additional $20,000 for local food pantries in a recent Instagram story viewed by her 9.5 million followers, discrepancies have emergedโฃ regarding โpast donation numbers. AOC stated she distributed 600โข turkeys in 2024, while a campaign video from that sameโ year claimed 1,000 turkeys were given โout. In 2021, she reported distributing 650 turkeys. The campaign did not respond to inquiries regarding these inconsistencies.
Kiersten Pels, spokesperson โfor the Republican National Committee, criticized โthe fundraising effort, stating, “Ocasio-Cortez is running a con under the guise of a charity โdriveโฆSlapping a โข’turkey’ label on โa campaign fundraiser to trick voters into thinking they’reโค helping charities is exactly the kind of scam that she and the โขsocialist wing ofโ the Democratic party rely on.”