Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a statement on Wednesday, asserting that Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) is not considered a crime. This statement has raised concerns and questions online regarding the RICO charges against former President Donald Trump in Georgia.
In December, the House of Representatives made a decision to initiate an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. The vote for this action was 221-212, with party-line voting. Republicans claim that during his tenure as vice president from 2009 to 2017 under President Barack Obama, Biden misused his authority to provide improper support for his son’s business endeavors, allegedly resulting in personal financial gain. The president himself has denied any involvement in his son Hunter’s business dealings, while the White House has dismissed the impeachment efforts of the GOP as “sad, pathetic, and a waste of everyone’s time.”
During a hearing in Biden’s impeachment inquiry on Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez found herself in a tense exchange with Tony Bobulinski. Bobulinski, a former associate of the president’s son Hunter and a witness, had his testimony questioned by Republicans regarding the accusations of high crimes against the president. However, Ocasio-Cortez found his testimony unsatisfactory.
Ocasio-Cortez directly questioned Bobulinski about his personal experience of witnessing President Joe Biden committing a crime, asking him, “Can you confirm that you personally saw President Joe Biden engage in any illegal activities?”
Bobulinksi responded by saying, “Yes…You asked me to answer the question, and I did. RICO, in case you’re not familiar with it, is a term used to describe corruption.”
As Bobulinksi attempted to proceed, Ocasio-Cortez chimed in, pointing out, “Sir, RICO is not actually a crime, but rather a category. Can you please clarify the specific crime involved?”
I have sent an email to Ocasio-Cortez’s office at Newsweek for comment.
After Ocasio-Cortez made her remarks, many people, especially on social media platforms like X (previously known as Twitter), have been highlighting the RICO charges against Trump in Georgia.
In August, a Georgia grand jury indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants on criminal racketeering charges. They stand accused of attempting to overturn the state’s electoral results in the 2020 election, which was won by Biden. Trump, who is considered the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential race, has pleaded not guilty to all 13 charges. He has consistently maintained that this case is nothing more than a political witch hunt.
Newsweek has contacted Trump’s spokesperson via email to request a comment.
In response to the situation, political commentator Sara Gonzales expressed her concern on X, stating, “Well damn. I truly hope that @AOC can use her influence to urge Fani Willis to drop those RICO charges against Trump.”
Travis, a user on X, expressed their opinion by stating, “Someone should inform Fani Willis to dismiss all charges as AOC claims that RICO is not considered a crime.”
During the hearing, Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that House Republicans have not been able to present any evidence of a “high crime” committed by Biden, which is a necessary condition for impeachment.
“Why is this committee proceeding based on false charges?” questioned Ocasio-Cortez. The crux of the matter is not the validity of the impeachment inquiry, but rather the perplexing reason behind its continuation.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is currently leading the investigation, but there is a standstill in the case. An appeal has been filed to disqualify Willis, and it is now making its way to the Georgia Court of Appeals. The court will decide whether or not to take up the appeal. This development comes after former Trump staffer and co-defendant Michael Roman made accusations that Willis was in a relationship with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor hired by Willis in the high-profile case. Roman also claimed that both Willis and Wade benefited from taxpayer money.
