Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sparked online questions on Wednesday when she stated that Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) is “not a crime.” This raised concerns about the RICO charges that were filed against former President Donald Trump in Georgia.
In December, the House of Representatives voted along party lines, with a 221-212 vote, to initiate an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Republicans claim that during his tenure as vice president under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, Biden utilized his authority to unjustly aid his son’s business ventures, allegedly resulting in personal financial gain. President Biden has consistently maintained that he had no involvement in Hunter’s business affairs, while the White House has characterized the GOP’s impeachment endeavor as “sad, pathetic, and a futile waste of time for all parties involved.”
During the impeachment inquiry hearing on Wednesday, there was a tense exchange between Ocasio-Cortez and Tony Bobulinski. Bobulinski, who is a former associate of President Biden’s son Hunter, was being questioned as a witness. Ocasio-Cortez stated that his testimony did not meet the Republicans’ allegations of high crimes committed by the president.
Ocasio-Cortez directly questioned Bobulinski during the exchange, inquiring whether he had personally witnessed President Joe Biden committing a crime. She asked, “Is it your testimony today that you personally witnessed President Joe Biden commit a crime?”
Bobulinksi responded by saying, “Yes…You requested an answer, and I provided one. RICO, if you are unfamiliar, refers to corruption.”
During the discussion, Bobulinksi was interrupted by Ocasio-Cortez, who pointed out that RICO is not a crime but rather a category. She asked Bobulinksi to clarify what specific crime he was referring to.
I have sent an email to Ocasio-Cortez’s office at Newsweek’s request for comment.
After Ocasio-Cortez made her remarks, many individuals have turned to social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, to highlight the RICO charges against Trump in Georgia.
In August, a Georgia grand jury indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants on criminal racketeering charges. They were accused of attempting to overturn the state’s electoral results in the 2020 election, which was won by Biden. Trump, who is the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has pleaded not guilty to all 13 charges. He has consistently maintained that the case is nothing more than a political witch hunt.
Political commentator Sara Gonzales expressed her surprise on X, stating, “Well, that’s unexpected. I really hope that @AOC can persuade Fani Willis to dismiss those RICO charges against Trump.”
Travis, a user on X platform, expressed their opinion regarding Fani Willis and the charges, stating, “Someone tell Fani Willis to drop all charges because AOC says RICO is not a crime.”
During the hearing, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that House Republicans have not been able to present any evidence of a “high crime” committed by Biden, which is necessary for impeachment.
“Why is this committee proceeding based on false charges?” questioned Ocasio-Cortez, emphasizing that the story lies not in the incorrect foundation of the impeachment inquiry, but rather in the reasoning behind its continuation.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been heading the investigation, but progress has come to a halt due to an ongoing appeal to disqualify Willis from the case. The appeal is currently making its way to the Georgia Court of Appeals, which will decide whether or not to take up the matter. The appeal stems from allegations made by former Trump staffer and co-defendant Michael Roman, who claims that Willis had a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor she hired for the case. Roman also alleges that they both misused taxpayer funds for personal gain.