Politics

NRCC Launches ‘Socialist Give Back’ In Response To AOC’s Campaign Donations

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The House Republicans’ campaign arm launched a website Monday urging Democrats to return campaign donations from New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez’s “Courage To Change” PAC made multiple $5,000 campaign donations to swing-district Democrats in an effort to keep the House majority, The Hill reported. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) launched a website called “Socialist Give Back” urging Democrats to return the donations.

“Vulnerable House Democrats are being bankrolled by radical socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who wants to defund the police, implement government-run healthcare and open our borders,” the website says. “Which Democrats will give back her socialist cash?”

The NRCC listed six Democrats that had denied or returned the donations, including Reps. Chris Pappas and Ron Kind. The PAC targeted representatives who had not returned the donations on its site Monday including Rep. Cindy Axne, accusing her of supporting Ocasio-Cortez’s “radical socialist agenda.”

“Cindy Axne has not yet returned the $5,000 campaign contribution she received from AOC. Will she be next?” the NRCC said. “Or will she stand with Ocasio-Cortez and her radical socialist agenda that wants to Defund the Police, Abolish ICE and open our borders?”

Will @Axne4Congress join other vulnerable Democrats in returning the $5K she received from socialist @AOC?

Or will she stand with Ocasio-Cortez & her radical socialist agenda that wants to defund the police, abolish ICE & open our borders? #IA03 https://t.co/NSfsCdNMgW

— NRCC (@NRCC) April 19, 2021

Pappas’ campaign spokesperson said they returned Ocasio-Cortez’s donation from March 29 due to a “clerical error” in the transaction, according to WMUR. Other swing district Democrats became worried voters would respond negatively to the donations and hurt their chances at reelection, Politico reported.

Swing district Democrats said the donations were unannounced and unsolicited, according to Politico. An unnamed Democratic consultant said the donations will benefit the GOP’s claims that the Democratic Party are socialists.

“The GOP has spent four years saying the frontlines are all socialists. Now they’ve got the receipts to prove it,” the consultant said, according to Politico. “Anyone telling themselves this won’t be in campaign ads is in denial.”

“Socialist Give Back” currently lists all the congressmen that have not returned Ocasio-Cortez’s donations. The list includes Reps. Tom O’Halleran of Arizona, Josh Harder of California and Jahana Hayes of Connecticut.