AOC resurrects ‘Green New Deal’ moniker for public housing bill

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., will resurrect her "Green New Deal" terminology with a new housing bill she plans to announce Thursday, according to Politico.

Ocasio-Cortez will announce the "Green New Deal for Housing" alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders I-Vt., who is sponsoring the legislation in the Senate. She says the bill will focus largely on public housing, arguing that private housing is no longer realistic for many Americans.

"For a long time, we could pass a tax incentive here or there and say, ‘Hey, we've got a great housing policy,’" Ocasio-Cortez told Politico. "And everyday people … were supportive because there was still that dream and that idea that ‘I'm going to be buying a home soon … that's within the horizon for me.’ Right now, we have an entire generation — that is ascending into becoming the most powerful electorate, the largest electorate — for which that is decades away."

The legislation's central change would be to repeal the Faircloth Amendment, which for decades has prevented the Department of Housing and Urban Development from funding new public housing.

HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-BUSINESS PARTNER TONY BOBULINSKI SLAMS HIM FOR 'RUNNING AWAY' FROM HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

"No housing conversation is complete without a conversation around public housing," Ocasio-Cortez added. "We in the United States have lived under the scourge of the Faircloth amendment for decades, and that has helped precipitate — and contributed to — the housing crisis that we are living in today. A major part of our housing problem is a supply problem."

JOE BIDEN IS 'THE BIG GUY,' TONY BOBULINSKI SAID DURING 'UNSHAKEABLE' TESTIMONY AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

The legislation comes several years after Ocasio-Cortez's first attempt at a "Green New Deal," which sought to reshape the conversation around clean energy use and emissions in the U.S. That bill was dead on arrival in Congress, as is likely to be the case with her latest effort.

President Biden's administration wished the effort well in a Thursday statement but shied away from endorsing the legislation.

AOC SAYS TRUMP ‘WILLING TO SELL THE COUNTRY FOR A DOLLAR’ AS LAWMAKERS REACT TO POTENTIAL PROPERTY SEIZURES

"As he laid out in his State of the Union address and again this week in Nevada, President Biden is laser focused on lowering housing costs for owners and renters alike," a White House spokesman told Politico when asked about the bill. "We welcome ideas from members of Congress to build on our strong agenda."

Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are expected to announce the legislation at an event on Capitol Hill later Thursday.

AOC takes heat over ‘RICO is not a crime’ comment in Biden impeachment probe hearing

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., grilled Hunter Biden ex-associate Tony Bobulinski about ‘exactly’ what crimes President Biden is guilty of committing in a heated exchange at an impeachment hearing on Wednesday.

"Is it your testimony today that you personally witnessed President Joe Biden commit a crime?" AOC asked while staring down Bobulinski. 

However, before Bobulinski could even answer, he was cut off by the animated progressive representative, repeating the same question to him. 

"How much time do I have to go through it?," Bobulinski shot back, listing off a number of crimes and alleging the president committed a RICO violation and was involved in financial corruption regarding his business dealings with his son Hunter.

HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-BUSINESS PARTNER TONY BOBULINSKI SLAMS HIM FOR 'RUNNING AWAY' FROM HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

"What is the crime sir, specifically," AOC demanded. 

"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. Excuse me, sir. RICO is not a crime. It is a category," AOC defiantly exclaimed.

"It's a category of crimes that you are then charged under," Bobulinski said before AOC began talking over him.

JOE BIDEN IS 'THE BIG GUY,' TONY BOBULINSKI SAID DURING 'UNSHAKEABLE' TESTIMONY AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"It’s funny, in this committee room — everyone’s not here — there are over 18 lawyers that went to law school. I’ll leave it up to you guys to define the statute," Bobulinski fired back before being cut off again.

AOC continued to talk over Bobulinski, exclaiming "I reclaim my time!"

She then went on to scold Republicans over the impeachment inquiry, accusing them of spending 15 months "lost in the desert" without proof that President Biden committed "a high crime or misdemeanor."

TONY BOBULINSKI ATTORNEY ACCUSES OVERSIGHT DEMS OF 'GASLIGHTING,' FALSE SMEARS AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN ASSOCIATE

AOC's claim that RICO is not a crime quickly became a hot topic on social media, with Republicans needling the congresswoman for her comment. 

"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," Fox News contributor Joe Concha wrote on X.

"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.

AOC SAYS TRUMP ‘WILLING TO SELL THE COUNTRY FOR A DOLLAR’ AS LAWMAKERS REACT TO POTENTIAL PROPERTY SEIZURES

RICO refers to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which targets dishonest business activities such as money laundering as well as organized crime.

Former President Donald Trump currently faces a RICO case in Georgia over the 2020 election. 

The Republican-led House Oversight Committee took to X to disprove AOC's claim, writing, "(HINT: RICO is a federal law codified at 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-68)."

Bobulinski has criticized the president’s son for "running away" from the American people after he declined to appear for the congressional hearing.

Bobulinski has also previously testified that President Biden "enabled" Hunter Biden to sell access to America's "most dangerous adversaries," including China and Russia. 

In his statement, Hunter Biden’s former business partner called for "truth and transparency" to prevail.

WALL STREET VETERAN MARTY DOLAN EXPLAINS WHY HE'S RUNNING TO UNSEAT AOC: 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'

"Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, along with countless members of Congress, keep claiming that they are 'fighting for our Democracy.' Why don't we as a nation agree to fight for the truth!" Bobulinski said. "Nearly three-quarters of the American people believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and I can’t blame them. Truth and transparency would help expose the rot at the center of our political system and begin to fix what ails us."

President Biden has continued to ask Congress to close the impeachment investigation and denied allegations of any wrongdoing.

Fox News' Brooke Singman, David Spunt and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.

AOC defends Hunter Biden after refusal to testify before Congress; GOP just ‘story telling at this point’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, defended Hunter Biden on Wednesday amid criticism by Republicans after he refused to testify before lawmakers behind closed doors. 

The president's son was subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees. He instead held a press conference Wednesday on Capitol Hill in which he refused to sit for a deposition while declaring that his father was never involved in his business dealings. 

Republicans have threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT ‘FINANCIALLY’ INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS

Ocasio-Cortez joined a press conference with fellow Democrats to criticize Republicans where she said Biden was attempting to comply with the subpoena. 

"It’s also important to note, that not only is the committee not allowing Hunter Biden to testify publicly, but they have not called a single witness, a single first-hand witness to any of their allegations," she said. "They haven’t allowed anybody to testify publicly, because they do not have a single witness to any of their alleged allegations. They don’t."

"We have asked virtually every single person that has come to testify for this committee, ‘Have you seen, witnessed, participated, in a room, anything with first-hand testimony of any of what is being alleged?'" And every single witness that they have called before us has said, ‘No, I haven’t seen anything, didn’t hear anything, wasn’t party to anything," she added.

WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

"So this is just story telling at this point."

During his press conference, Biden defended the president and said critics have "belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service. For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here." 

"My father was not financially involved in my business," he said, saying the elder Biden was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the United States.

Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Kentucky, and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said they would start proceedings to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress. 

"Today, the House will vote on an impeachment inquiry resolution to strengthen our legal case in the courts as we face obstruction from the White House and witnesses," both lawmakers said in a joint statement. "Today’s obstruction by Hunter Biden reinforces the need for a formal vote. President Biden and his family must be held accountable for their corruption and obstruction. And we will provide that to the American people."

AOC lists fiancé as ‘spouse’ on disclosures despite not legally being married

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., listed her fiancé as a "spouse" on multiple disclosure forms filed with the House Ethics Committee despite the couple having not officially been married. 

The "Squad" member indicated her fiancé, Riley Roberts, as her "spouse" on several disclosure forms concerning overseas travel between 2022 and 2023. 

The forms, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, were filed with the House Ethics Committee which explicitly defines a spouse as "someone to whom you are legally married." 

Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Press Secretary Lauren Hitt told the Beacon that Roberts and Ocasio-Cortez are "not legally married," but that "House Ethics has commonly recognized the term spouse to extend to long-term partners." 

HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO HOLD FIRST BIDEN IMPEACHMENT HEARING THIS MONTH

Roberts would be compelled to disclose his financial records were he to be Ocasio-Cortez’s legally recognized spouse. 

Ocasio-Cortez announced her engagement to her longtime partner in May 2022. The pair met at a coffee shop while they were both students at Boston University. 

Earlier this year, the House Office of Congressional Ethics said it found "substantial reason to believe" that Ocasio-Cortez improperly accepted gifts in the form of tickets during her appearance at the 2021 Met Gala. 

A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics states that Ocasio-Cortez was accused of accepting "impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021" which may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law. 

Last month, the congresswoman demanded that the Department of Justice target Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas over his relationship with a Republican megadonor and others she claims he benefited from financially. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Ethics Committee for comment. 

Choosing your opponent: Why Democrats are bashing the Supreme Court now

President Biden can’t choose his direct opponent next year. But Mr. Biden and Democrats can certainly manufacture one. 

The Supreme Court is on the ballot in 2024.

Liberals are incensed at the latest spate of Supreme Court opinions. Several of the decisions went against causes important to the left.

The High Court undid the President’s plan to cancel $400 billion in student loans. LBGTQ groups are infuriated that the Court ruled that a Colorado web designer doesn’t have to make sites for same-sex weddings. Finally, the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action requirements in higher education.

IMPEACHMENT ONCE AGAIN LOOMS LARGE IN CONGRESS

Expect Democrats to resort to a page in their playbook which likely helped the party gain a seat in the Senate and nearly cling to control in the House in 2022. The Dobbs opinion on abortion last year emerged as a game changer. It energized progressives and pro-choice Democrats and independents. The ruling infused the polls with a stream of voters, serving as a political life preserver to the party. 

Democrats have a lot more to campaign on in 2024 when it comes to the Supreme Court. Questions about the ethics of Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas abound. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts declined to take part in a hearing called in the spring by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., about the conduct of the justices. The panel is prepping another clash with the Court as Senate Democrats write a bill about the ethics of justices.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told CNN the justices are "destroying the legitimacy of the Court." She endorses issuing subpoenas for justices.

"They are expanding their role into acting as though they are Congress itself. And that, I believe, is an expansion of power that we really must be focusing on the danger of this court and the abuse of power in this Court, particularly as it is related to the entanglements around conflicts of interest as well," said Ocasio-Cortez.

This is why left-wing Members hope to expand and potentially "pack" the Court with jurists who may do the bidding of progressives.

"Expanding the court is constitutional. Congress has done it before and Congress must do it again," said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

Markey is right. The composition of the Supreme Court has bounced around for decades. The size of the Court is not established by the Constitution. Congress set the makeup of the Court via statute. Congress would periodically increase or decrease the number of seats on the Court for political reasons.

The Judiciary Act of 1789 created a Supreme Court comprised of six justices. But in 1801, Congress reduced the size of the Court to five justices. That was an effort to undercut President Thomas Jefferson from filling the Supreme Court with one of his nominees. Don’t forget that the House of Representatives elected Jefferson as president in what is known as a "contingent election" following a dispute over the Electoral College. 

MUST-DO: WHAT CONGRESS HAS LEFT ON ITS PLATE AT YEAR'S HALFWAY MARK

Because of the burgeoning size of the federal judiciary, Congress added a seventh justice to help oversee lower courts in 1807. The Court grew to nine justices in 1837.

In 1863, Congress added a 10th seat to the Supreme Court for President Lincoln. This came right after the pro-slavery Dred Scott decision in the late 1850s. There was hope that Lincoln could retool the Court following the Dred Scott case by appointing a jurist aligned with the Union who opposed slavery. However, Lincoln never filled that seat. But after Lincoln’s assassination, there was fear that President Andrew Johnson may alter the court. So in 1866, Congress shrunk the size of the Supreme Court to seven justices. That prevented Johnson from nominating anyone to the Supreme Court as the nation was in the midst of Reconstruction.

Once Johnson was out of office Congress switched the number back to nine for President Ulysses S. Grant. It’s remained at nine ever since. 

But there have been efforts to change the Court’s composition since then.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to "pack" the Court in 1937. He hoped to add justices for every member of the Supreme Court who was over the age of 70.

In a radio "Fireside Chat" on March 9, 1937, FDR squarely challenged the High Court.

"The Courts, however, have cast doubts on the ability of the elected Congress to protect us against catastrophe by meeting squarely our modern social and economic conditions," said Roosevelt.

FDR accused the Supreme Court of an "arbitrary exercise of judicial power" when it came to opinions about banks and railroads. So the president hoped to change the Court by adding more youthful members who might align more closely with his political agenda.

SUPREME COURT RULINGS LIKELY TO INTENSIFY CALLS FROM THE LEFT TO 'PACK' THE COURT

"There is nothing novel or radical about this idea," said FDR, noting that Congress also changed the Court’s membership in 1869. "It seeks to restore the Court to its rightful and historic place in our Constitutional government."

But FDR failed to marshal enough support for the plan with his Fireside Chats. The public opposed the idea and the Senate Judiciary Committee emphatically torpedoed the plan.

It’s doubtful that the Democrats efforts to increase the size of the Supreme Court will go anywhere. It’s unclear that the proposal has anywhere close to 51 votes to pass in the Senate. Commandeering 60 votes to overcome a filibuster is even more daunting.

However, this gives liberals another chance to rail against Senate procedures and call for an end to the filibuster. It energizes the base and helps Democratic candidates raise money. 

That’s why this effort is more about the ballot box in 2024.

"If you want to motivate American voters, you need to scare them," said Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer. 

Bitzer says that Democrats used last year’s abortion opinion "as a weapon in the campaign." It helped Democrats mitigate losses in the midterms.

Bitzer believes Democrats now have the opportunity to lean on three key voting blocs to help them in 2024. Democrats will lean on younger voters upset about student loans. There are minority voters upset about the Affirmative Action decision. Finally, Democrats will rely on the LBGTQ+ community. 

However, the closing argument could be the composition of the Supreme Court itself. 

"Democrats will look at the Court and argue there are individuals that should not be on the Court and that they are on the Court and we have to play hardball," said Bitzer.

Dial back to February 2016. 

Late Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly. Former President Obama nominated current Attorney General Merrick Garland to fill his seat. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is the Majority Leader at the time. He refuses to grant Garland a hearing. McConnell says the next president should fill that seat. 

So former President Trump prevails in the 2016 presidential election and nominates Justice Neil Gorsuch. McConnell then shepherds Gorsuch’s nomination to confirmation after Democrats threatened a filibuster.

Upset by filibusters, Senate Democrats established a new precedent in the Senate in 2013 to short-circuit most filibusters of executive branch nominees, known as the "nuclear option." But they left in place the potential to filibuster a Supreme Court Justice. The Senate had never filibustered a Supreme Court nomination. However, the Senate did filibuster the promotion of late Justice Abe Fortas from Associate Justice to U.S. Chief Justice in the late 1960s. 

Facing a filibuster, McConnell deployed the nuclear option to confirm Gorsuch. McConnell again relied on the nuclear option to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the fall of 2018. 

After the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, McConnell ignored what he said in 2016 about confirming justices in a presidential election year. The GOP-controlled Senate rammed through the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett days before the 2020 presidential election. 

This is why liberals are apoplectic about the Supreme Court.

"Republicans have been very willing to change the rules of the game," said Bitzer. "Democrats are slowly coming to the realization that if (Republicans) are going to play that game by their rules, then (they) need to be playing that game by (their) own set of rules."

You can’t always pick your opponent in politics. 

NBA teams often pine to secure a certain matchup in the playoffs. Team A pairs up really well against Team B. Then team A is often disappointed it didn’t get the opponent it "wanted."

You can’t manufacture a potential adversary in sports. But you can in politics. 

President Biden can’t choose his direct opponent in 2024. But Mr. Biden and Democrats can certainly aim to put the Supreme Court on the ballot in 2024.

AOC proposes subpoenas and impeachment to limit SCOTUS justices’ power following landmark decisions

Democratic "Squad" member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., slammed the U.S. Supreme Court for what she called an "abuse of power" Sunday, following landmark decisions this past week rejecting affirmative action and Biden's student loan debt plan. She proposed impeachment and subpoenas be put into play in order to limit the justices' power. 

"The Supreme Court is far overreaching their authority," Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"And I believe, frankly, that we really need to be having conversations about judicial review as a check on the courts as well," she added.

The Supreme Court issued the last decisions of its term this past week, among them rejecting the use of race as a factor in admissions, ruling in favor of a Christian web designer who refuses to make a same-sex wedding websites, and striking down President Biden’s student loan debt cancellation plan. Democrats have considered the rulings to be attacks on the left, denouncing the court as "illegitimate." 

ROBERTS SCOLDS LIBERAL JUSTICES FOR DEMONIZING RULINGS THEY DON'T LIKE: 'DISTURBING FEATURE' OF DISSENTS

"These are the types of rulings that signal a dangerous creep toward authoritarianism and centralization of power in the courts," Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday. "In fact, we have members of the court themselves with Justice Elena Kagan saying that the court is beginning to assume the power of a legislature."

Ocasio-Cortez has been a vocal proponent for court-packing and limiting the court's power, going as far as to tell CNN's Dana Bash that subpoenas and impeachment should be placed on the table for consideration. 

"And so I believe that if Chief Justice Roberts will not come before Congress for an investigation voluntarily, I believe that we should be considering subpoenas," the Democrat representative said. "We should be considering investigations. We must pass much more binding and stringent ethics guidelines where we see members of the Supreme Court potentially breaking the law, as we saw in the refusal with Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from cases implicating his wife in Jan. 6."

BIDEN SNAPS AT REPORTER AFTER STUDENT DEBT HANDOUT DEFEAT AT SUPREME COURT: 'I DIDN'T GIVE ANY FALSE HOPE'

"There also must be impeachment on the table. We have a broad level of tools to deal with misconduct, overreach and abuse of power, and the Supreme Court has not been receiving the adequate oversight necessary in order to preserve their own legitimacy," she continued. "And in the process, they themselves have been destroying the legitimacy of the court, which is profoundly dangerous for our entire democracy."

Unlike Ocasio-Cortez, the president recently clarified his position against expanding the court during an interview on MSNBC on Thursday. Biden said progressive efforts to expand the Supreme Court would "politicize it maybe forever in a way that is not healthy."

SUPREME COURT RULINGS LIKELY TO INTENSIFY CALLS FROM THE LEFT TO 'PACK' THE COURT

"And I think, look, I think maybe it's just the optimist in me. I think that some of the court are beginning to realize their legitimacy is being questioned in ways that had not been questioned in the past," he continued.

AOC did, however, make headlines shortly after the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling, after she suggested the high court isn't serious about its "ludicrous ‘colorblindness’ claims" or else it would have "abolished" legacy admissions.

Ocasio-Cortez shared her thoughts on the ruling on Twitter, noting that "70% of Harvard’s legacy applicants are white" and that the Supreme Court "didn’t touch that – which would have impacted them and their patrons."

Many social media users were quick to call the congresswoman out, saying that the issue of legacy admissions – the practice of giving preference to children of alumni. - was not before the court.

Fox News' Brianna Herlihy and Kyle Morris contributed to this report. 

AOC’s campaign obscured thousands of dollars in expenditures, FEC complaint claims

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's campaign obscured thousands of dollars in expenditures during the 2022 election cycle, a nonprofit alleged in a recent Federal Election Commission complaint.

According to the complaint filed by attorney Dan Backer on behalf of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, the New York Democrat failed to disclose where around $9,600 in credit card payments ultimately wound up, the Daily Caller News Foundation first reported.

Campaigns must itemize credit card charges to a vendor exceeding $200 in federal filings, including the vendor's name and address, the disbursement's purpose, the date of the services, and its amounts.

AOC SLAMS ERIC ADAMS FOR INCREASING PAY FOR 'MILITARIZED' POLICE: 'DEFUNDING SAFETY'

"On numerous occasions throughout 2022, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez's authorized candidate committee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress ("AOC for Congress"), reported tens of thousands of dollars of disbursements for card payments and card payment reimbursements to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez herself; American Express; and an entity called ‘Veyond!,’ which appears to have provided virtual reality services and apparently no longer operates under that name," the complaint states.

Backer alleges that in some cases, the 'Squad' member's committee failed to disclose the card payments' purposes. He further says the sum of specific memo items is less than the amount the campaign reported paying the recipient. 

"Although campaigns are permitted to use charge cards (or reimburse candidates for use of their personal charge cards) for otherwise permissible campaign-related expense, their disclosure reports must accurately identify both the recipient of those funds, as well as each of the campaign-related goods and services those charge cards were used to purchase," the complaint says.

AOC DOUBLES DOWN ON 'IGNORING' ABORTION RULE, CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT: 'ABUSE OF JUDICIAL OVERREACH'

"Not only is the public entitled to that information, but without such disclosure, it is impossible to confirm a candidate is not illegally using campaign funds to pay personal expenses," the complaint continues.

Ocasio-Cortez's campaign, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaint, separately found itself in hot water over its failures and delays in paying vendors regarding her glitzy Met Gala appearance in 2021.

The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into the matter last year. In March, the committee announced they had "substantial reason to believe" that Ocasio-Cortez improperly accepted gifts for the gala, which she attended with her fiancée, Riley Roberts.

"As part of her attendance, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was provided with a couture dress, handbag, shoes, and jewelry," a House ethics report said. "She also received hair, makeup, transportation, and ready-room services." 

AOC, OTHER POLITICIANS PAID THOUSANDS IN CAMPAIGN CASH TO CHINESE FOREIGN AGENT

"Riley Roberts received a bowtie and shoes in advance of the event," the report said. "While Rep. Ocasio-Cortez appears to have now paid for the rental value of the attire she wore to the Met Gala and for the goods and services she and her partner received in connection with this September 2021 event, payment for these goods and services did not occur until after the OCE contacted her in connection with this review."

The ethics committee unanimously recommended the probe continue. Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, pinned the blame for the delayed payments on a campaign staffer. 

AOC doubles down on ‘ignoring’ abortion rule, Clarence Thomas impeachment: ‘abuse of judicial overreach’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., took to Twitter Sunday afternoon to double down on her belief that the Biden administration should "simply ignore" a federal court's injunction on a popular abortion pill. She also defended her push to impeach Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

In a series of tweets, Ocasio-Cortez said the ruling was "judicial overreach" as it forces the executive branch to limit the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone. She also said judges who "repeatedly break the law" should face impeachment, without specifically naming Thomas.

"If we do not impeach when lifetime appointees repeatedly break the law in stunning shows of corruption, if we do not reign in [the] systematic abuse of judicial overreach, and if all we rely on is for those abusing power to police themselves, we have no one else to blame," AOC said on Twitter. "It must stop."

The New York Democrat said the branches of government differ in function and that Biden’s executive authority allows him to dictate how the ruling should be enforced – or not.

AOC SAYS SHE MAY DRAFT CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT ARTICLE IF NO ONE ELSE DOES

She also likened the current situation to the Trump administration’s inaction on restoring the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy after a court ordered him to do so.

"GOP are losing their mind over this, but there’s precedent - including their own. Courts ordered Trump to fully restore DACA. They ignored it w/ Republican support," she wrote.

The Democratic lawmaker added: "GOP operate in complete contempt for the law until they’re in a position to shred Constitutional & human rights."

In another tweet, she added: "It’s called agency non-acquiescence. The courts are now going rogue with rulings that no longer even pretend to respect precedent, jurisprudence, or limits to overreach. They are long overdue for a check & balance. Not doing so paves a dangerous road of worsening abuse of power."

AOC’s comments echoed those she shared during an interview Sunday with CNN’s Dana Bash, where she said there was an "extraordinary amount of precedent for this."

"It has happened before, the idea of consistency and governance until there is a higher court ruling," she told Bash, adding that it's "not an unprecedented thing to happen."

CNN PRESSES REP OCASIO-CORTEZ OVER CLAIMS BIDEN ADMIN SHOULD 'IGNORE' ABORTION RULING: 'STUNNING POSITION'

On Friday, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas Matthew J. Kacsmaryk directed the Food and Drug Administration to halt the approval of mifepristone while a lawsuit challenging its safety and approval made its way through court.

The ruling and subsequent suspension will take effect in seven days if a higher court, such as the U.S. Supreme Court, does not issue a stay.

During the weekend interview, the New York lawmaker said she did not think Judge Kacsmaryk or any of the courts have the authority to dictate the actions of the FDA.

"I think one of the things that we need to examine is the grounds of that ruling. But I do not believe that the courts have the authority over the FDA that they just asserted, and I do believe that it creates a crisis," Ocasio-Cortez said.

Separately, Ocasio-Cortez is also pushing to impeach Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who she accused of "repeatedly breaking the law" after an investigation found he shared a yearslong friendship with Harlan Crow, a billionaire donor and real estate developer.

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS CALL FOR CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT AFTER REPORTED UNDISCLOSED GIFTS FROM GOP MEGADONOR

ProPublica found Thomas took several trips and received lavish gifts from Crow without disclosing them. Thomas subsequently admitted to receiving the "personal hospitality" but defended such behavior as "not reportable."

On Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez said Thomas' position on the court was an "emergency" and said he should be impeached.

The "Squad" member doubled down on her claim during Friday’s interview, after the host asked her to respond to Thomas’ statement defending his actions.

"He stated the reason and the rationale for this exemption was personal hospitality from an old friend. He said himself, in his statement, a friend of 25 years. Justice Thomas has been on the court for 30 years. What he is admitting in his statement, in an attempt to defend himself, is he began this relationship with a billionaire and received these sorts of gifts after he was appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States," Ocasio-Cortez said.

She added: "I think that in and of itself indicates a very serious problem."

The New Yorker also called for Chief Justice John Roberts to come forward and explain whether he was aware and if he allowed the "corruption" to continue.

Ocasio-Cortez said the house was not in session this week, so she would use the time to strategize, but said she may ultimately be the one to introduce impeachment articles against Thomas.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

AOC claims there is ‘crime wave’ within GOP after saying officials should ignore court rulings

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued there is a crime wave within the Republican Party, citing former President Donald Trump’s indictment and controversy over Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. 

"I admit it is very difficult to see a path in the Republican Party that refuses to hold itself accountable, and in fact, breaches the law itself," Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said on CNN. 

"The crime wave is within the Republican Party. It is within all…. what we are seeing, we have seen, we are seeing, breaking of the law by conservative members of the court. We are seeing a former president of the United States just indicted in recent days, I mean, we need to hold our systems accountable," she said. 

AOC CLAIMS THERE IS 'CRIME WAVE' WITHIN GOP AFTER SAYING OFFICIALS SHOULD IGNORE COURT RULINGS

Trump was indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in a Manhattan court. The indictment comes as prosecutors looked into hush-money payments that the former president allegedly made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

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Thomas was accused of improperly receiving lavish gifts from a wealthy friend, which one expert described as a political hit job. 

AOC SAYS SHE MAY DRAFT CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT ARTICLE IF NO ONE ELSE DOES

"I believe that we should pursue the course and if it is Republicans that decide to protect those who are breaking the law, then they're the ones who then are responsible for that decision, but we should not be complicit," Ocasio-Cortez continued

Ocasio-Cortez made no mention of the Biden family’s alleged corruption, including Hunter Biden’s notorious laptop that reportedly contains information about the Biden family’s business dealings with foreign nations. 

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Days earlier, Ocasio-Cortez joined Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon in advocating to ignore a court order that would block the distribution of mifepristone, a drug used to medically induce abortions.

"Sen. Ron Wyden has already issued statements, for example advising what we should do in situations like this, which I concur, which is that I believe that the Biden administration should ignore this ruling…. The courts have the legitimacy and they rely on the legitimacy of their rulings," AOC continued. "What they are currently doing is engaged in an unprecedented and dramatic erosion of the legitimacy of the courts."

AOC says she may draft Clarence Thomas impeachment article if no one else does

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., renewed her calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached after a report detailed the justice's close relationship with a billionaire Republican donor — going so far as to say she will introduce articles of impeachment herself.

In comments made on the Lever Time podcast Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez said Thomas' position on the court is an "emergency" and a "crisis," and reiterated her full support for removing him. 

When asked if she would introduce the articles of impeachment herself, the New York lawmaker said she would step up if no one else does. 

"Congress is out of session for the next week. And so that does give Democrats some time to strategize, and the way I feel about it is that, I do think articles need to be introduced," said Ocasio-Cortez. 

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS CALL FOR CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT AFTER REPORTED UNDISCLOSED GIFTS FROM GOP MEGADONOR

"If we decide strategically that the actual author of those articles and who introduces them may not be me, that's fine, I will support impeachment. But I just think that if no one's going to introduce it I would certainly be open to doing so and drafting them myself," she continued, adding, "I think this has gone far, far beyond any sort of acceptable standard in any democracy, let alone an American democracy." 

Democrats have expressed outrage at Thomas because of his wife's conservative political activities and, most recently, a report that claimed the justice has received lavish gifts from a GOP mega-donor and never disclosed them. 

A ProPublica investigation found that Thomas’ close friendship with real estate developer Harlan Crow allowed him to accompany the Texas billionaire on luxury vacations on his private jet and yacht, as well as free stays on Crow’s vast vacation property, among other perks. He reportedly failed to disclose the vast majority of Crow’s gifts.

In a statement Friday, Thomas described Harlan and Kathy Crow as "among our dearest friends."

"As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them," Thomas said. "Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable."

"I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines," Thomas continued. "These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future."

The ProPublica report prompted several Democratic lawmakers to demand that a strict code of ethics be imposed on the Supreme Court by Congress.

CLARENCE THOMAS REPORT SPURS NEW CALLS FROM DEMOCRATS FOR SUPREME COURT CODE OF ETHICS

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thomas’ alleged actions are "simply inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any public servant, let alone a Justice on the Supreme Court."

"Today’s report demonstrates, yet again, that Supreme Court Justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct, just like every other federal judge," Durbin said in a Thursday statement. "The ProPublica report is a call to action, and the Senate Judiciary Committee will act."

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However, Democrats have been all bark and no bite before. Last year, Ocasio-Cortez was one of a handful of House Democrats who demanded that Thomas step down or be impeached because he would not recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Investigators on the Jan. 6 select committee revealed that the justice's wife, Ginni Thomas, sent text messages to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to challenge Donald Trump's 2020 election loss.

"Clarence Thomas should resign," Ocasio-Cortez said at the time. "If not, his failure to disclose income from right-wing organizations, recuse himself from matters involving his wife, and his vote to block the Jan 6th commission from key information must be investigated and could serve as grounds for impeachment."

But Democrats took no action against Thomas. 

Ocasio-Cortez's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment asking if this time Democrats would follow through and introduce articles of impeachment against Thomas. 

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.