AOC roasted after claiming ‘RICO is not a crime’ in heated exchange with Biden impeachment probe witness

WASHINGTON, DC: In a heated exchange during President Biden's impeachment hearing on Wednesday, March 20, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced backlash after claiming that “RICO is not a crime.”

The incident occurred as Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sought to challenge GOP narratives surrounding the Biden family's involvement in alleged criminal activities.

Ocasio-Cortez challenges witness

During the exchange, Ocasio-Cortez directed a question at Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, asking if he witnessed the president commit a crime. Bobulinski responded by mentioning several legal statutes, including RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), corruption statutes, and the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

“How much time do I have to go through it,” Bobulinski subsequently asked Ocasio Cortez.

“What is the crime sir, specifically,” the progressive congresswoman responded.

“You asked me to answer the question. I answered the question. RICO, you’re obviously not familiar with. Corruption statutes. FARA,” Bobulinski stated. 

“Excuse me sir, RICO is not a crime. It is a category,” Ocasio-Cortez shot back in a rather condescending tone.

This remark sparked a contentious exchange, with Bobulinski pushing back, clarifying that RICO is indeed a statute that can lead to criminal charges.

“Oh no, it’s a category of crime that you are then charged with,” Bobulinski declared. “It’s funny, in this committee room — everyone’s not here — there’s over 18 lawyers that went to law school. I’ll leave it up to you guys to define the statute,” he added.

Following the exchange, a visibly frustrated Ocasio-Cortez redirected the focus of the hearing, criticizing the impeachment inquiry as a continuation of Republican efforts to discredit the Biden administration.

“Okay sir, I reclaim my time,” she said. “Clearly, what we are seeing here today is the continuation of the 15-month saga of the Republican majority lost in the desert.” She insisted that the resolution for the probe “does not outline a high crime or misdemeanor.”

RICO, or the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, targets various forms of dishonest business activities and organized crime, including money laundering.

The act gained significant attention last August when former President Donald Trump and several of his allies faced charges in a racketeering case related to alleged election tampering in Georgia.

AOC's blunder draws backlash on social media

Ocasio-Cortez's misstep drew swift criticism and mockery on social media.

"This is bizarre. RICO—the Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968—is most assuredly a crime," Sen Ted Cruz (R-Texas) posted on X. "It often results in massive felony sentences. And yet @aoc—eager to defend Joe Biden—insists it’s not a crime."

"@AOC probably got confused, give her a break! Maybe she thought RICO was a person…" conservative commentator Lou Dobbs chimed in.

“AOC broken in Hunter Biden hearing. So broken in fact, she claims RICO isn’t a crime. Well… empty the jails! Oh and for the record, all the defendants in the Georgia case brought by Fani Willis falls under RICO. Ooops,” Rep Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) pointed out.

“Well damn. Hope @AOC can tell Fani Willis to drop those RICO charges against Trump,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales quipped.

"How much dumber can @aoc get? Will someone tell this idiot that people get charged with RICO charges? Only two people I know that compete with her dumbness...@KamalaHarris and Karin Jean Pierre. @PressSec," Former Georgia State Representative Vernon Jones offered. 

Political divide widens

The incident underscored the broader divide between Democrats and Republicans regarding the impeachment investigation. While many House Republicans have refrained from directly accusing President Biden of criminal wrongdoing, they have framed the probe as a fact-finding mission.

In contrast, the White House and its allies have urged Congress to close the investigation, dismissing it as a partisan charade.

“As we said Friday, it’s obviously time to move on. This charade is over. The House should be focusing on real issues that actually matter to the American people,” White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations Ian Sams wrote on X ahead of the hearing.

Notably, the hearing also highlighted the absence of key witnesses. Hunter Biden, the subject of much scrutiny, declined Republicans' invitation to testify, as did other former associates like Jason Galanis and Devon Archer. Galanis, currently serving a sentence related to a fraud scheme, testified remotely from prison.

Democrats, meanwhile, invited Lev Parnas, an ex-associate of Rudy Giuliani, who initially sought to gather information on the Bidens in Ukraine but later disavowed those efforts, the New York Post reported.

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