Sometimes you just have to step back and admire the tenacity. However misleading it may be. Far-left congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) opted. in an argument with Harvard Law School graduate Ted Cruz over his statement that “RICO is not a crime.”
AOC made this statement while questioning a witness in this week’s House impeachment hearing.
Ocasio-Cortez asked Tony Bobulinski, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, to mention crimes he believes President Biden committed.
When he immediately did so, the New York Democrat tried to interrupt and talk over him. She then became combative. But, unfortunately for her, she was not intellectually armed for that battle.
“You asked me to answer the question. I answered the question. RICO, you obviously don’t know him. Corruption laws. FARA,” Bobulinski said.
“CLUE. It’s. Not. A crime,” AOC responded animatedly. “It’s a category.”
Tony Bobulinski brings the fire!
Poor little AOC can’t handle it. pic.twitter.com/0JRAT0iaD8
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) March 20, 2024
RELATED: AOC Says ‘RICO Is Not a Crime’ During Wild Exchange
AOC struggles with the concept of RICO
RICO, or the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, is in fact a United States federal law aimed at combating organized crime.
It allows for the prosecution of individuals involved in a criminal enterprise, including those who may not have directly committed the crime but may have played a role in the organization.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who was once on the Supreme Court shortlist under Donald Trump, called AOC’s argument “bizarre.”
He was kind.
“RICO,” he added, “is definitely a crime.”
RELATED: Trump invites Ted Cruz to support Texas Supreme Court election case
He dives headfirst into the fight
Rather than walk away from the issue, or even admit that she said something crazy, AOC decided to engage in a fight with Cruz.
“Wrong!” wrote on X. “RICO is a statute under which specific crimes can be considered: kidnapping, robbery, arson, etc.”
“You need to name the crimes to prove RICO,” AOC continued. “So…since you are the expert, what RICO crimes and evidence does the House GOP have? Since they don’t seem to know.”
Dragged immediately
You can almost feel the pride coming off that post on Boston.
But the feeling probably didn’t last long. She was later dragged to X for comments.
Robert Barnes, a high-profile attorney, responded to her question: “The Biden crime family’s predicative acts under RICO… include wire fraud and money laundering.”
In federal law, predicate acts are themselves crimes that are components of a larger crime.
National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker responded to AOC: “Your arrogance is replaced only by your stupidity.”
“A bartender is trying to argue the law with a Harvard Law graduate and former Supreme Court clerk,” Vince Langman added. “X is funny.”
One has to wonder what it will be like when Cruz himself responds.
Cruz has argued before the Supreme Court on several occasions, in most cases dating back to when he served as Texas attorney general. Trump was said to be considering him for the nation’s highest court.
AOC once had to argue about a tip left for her when she was a bartender and thinks RICO was a Gerardo song from the ’90s.
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