Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was mocked online after she said that "RICO is not a crime," during a heated exchange with Tony Bobulinski, a witness in the President Joe Biden impeachment hearing. Bobulinski claimed that he believed he had seen Biden commit crimes in a fiery moment of Wednesday's impeachment hearing.
Ocasio-Cortez asked Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, whether he had seen "the president commit a crime," aiming to counter GOP narratives about the Biden family during the public impeachment hearing. "How much time do I have to go through it," Bobulinski said before listing off several items such as "corruption statutes, RICO and conspiracy, [Foreign Agents Registration Act]."
AOC and Her Beliefs
AOC didn't stop but kept pressing. "What is the crime sir, specifically," the progressive darling asked.
"You asked me to answer the question. I answered the question. RICO, you're obviously not familiar with. Corruption statutes. FARA," Bobulinski replied.
"Excuse me, sir, RICO is not a crime. It is a category," Ocasio-Cortez interjected, her tone carrying a hint of condescension.
RICO, referred to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a legislation aimed at combating fraudulent business practices and organized crime, including activities like money laundering.
Last August, former President Donald Trump and several of his associates faced charges in a wide-ranging racketeering case in Fulton County for their alleged involvement in tampering with the 2020 Georgia election.
"Oh no, it's a category of crime that you are then charged with," Bobulinski said.
"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.
"Okay, sir, I reclaim my time," said Ocasio-Cortez, sounding exasperated after a brief interruption. "Clearly, what we are witnessing today is the continuation of the 15-month saga of the Republican majority lost in the desert."
Trolled For Her Views
She then proceeded with a monologue criticizing the impeachment inquiry, saying that the resolution for the probe "does not outline a high crime or misdemeanor."
Netizens swiftly mocked the progressive figure for the intense exchange.
"And, of course... AOC's favorite network has her back after she completely and totally embarrassed herself by arguing that RICO is not a crime," media columnist Joe Concha wrote.
"Well damn. Hope @AOC can tell Fani Willis to drop those RICO charges against Trump," mocked BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales.
"It's official @AOC is some kind of special. RICO stands for Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations. Yeah.....no crime here lol," media personality Graham Allen said.
"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) wrote on X.
Many House Republicans have refrained from directly accusing Joe Biden of committing a crime and have portrayed the impeachment probe as a fact-finding mission.
The White House and supporters of the president have capitalized on the perceived hesitancy of House Republicans to push forward with the impeachment investigation.
"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," Ian Sams, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations wrote on X ahead of the hearing.
Republicans had invited Hunter Biden, who has been embroiled in scandal, to testify on Wednesday, but he declined. The first son had previously testified in a closed-door session before the panel on February 28.
