At least three House Democrats have reportedly declined or vowed to return campaign donations from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, fearing the funds could hurt their chances with swing voters.
“The GOP has spent four years saying the frontliners are all socialists. Now, they’ve got the receipts to prove it. Anyone telling themselves this won’t be in campaign ads is in denial,” one Democratic consultant who works for swing-seat members told Politico.
The three House Democrats who declined the $5,000 donations or said they would return the donations include Reps. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Carolyn Bourdeaux of Georgia, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Politico reported.
The donations reportedly went around the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, with Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign allegedly receiving wire transfer information from DCCC staffers without higher-level employees’ approval. House Democrats who received the funds were reportedly “shocked” as they “came without warning.”
AOC AND PELOSI RANK AMONG LEAST EFFECTIVE DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS
“We appreciate Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s ongoing commitment to a Democratic majority. Due to a miscommunication, some transfers were made in error, but that has been addressed,” DCCC spokesman Chris Hayden told Politico but did not provide more details.
Offices for Ocasio-Cortez, Lamb, Slotkin, and Bourdeaux did not immediately return the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment.
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The report comes as Ocasio-Cortez was named one of the least effective members of Congress.
She was ranked No. 230 out of the 240 Democrats who served in the 116th Congress, according to a study of legislative effectiveness. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was ranked 237th, while Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat, was the least effective legislator.
