Campaign

House Republicans pressuring Democrats to return donations from Ocasio-Cortez

House Republicans’ campaign arm on Monday launched a website calling on a number of vulnerable House Democrats to return campaign donations from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). 

The website, dubbed “Socialist Give Back,” comes after Politico reported last week that Ocasio-Cortez donated $5,000 to a number of House Democrats. The National Republican Congressional Committee highlighted the Democrats who have returned the donations, including Rep. Chris Pappas (D).

Ocasio-Cortez’s Courage to Change PAC donated to the New Hampshire Democrat on March 29, but Pappas’s campaign returned the funds, citing a clerical error.

Other House Democrats who returned the campaign cash include Reps. Conor Lamb (D-Penn.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Ga.), and Ron Kind (D-Wis.).

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Chris Hayden told Politico last month that the campaign arm was appreciative of Ocasio-Cortez’s efforts, adding “due to a miscommunication, some transfers were made in error, but that has been addressed.”

Ocasio-Cortez has become the face of progressive Democrats and a fierce critic of Republicans. She has also sparred a number of times with more moderate Democrats. 

The development comes less than a week after the Federal Election Commission’s first-quarter deadlines, which saw record fundraising numbers from House Democrats and Republicans.