Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) got into a war of words with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) over her recent claims that RICO, which refers to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, is not a crime in itself.
During a House Oversight Committee hearing on President Joe Biden’s impeachment inquiry on Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez tried to invalidate former Hunter Biden business partner Tony Bobulinski’s testimony that Biden committed RICO.
Not having any of Bobulinski’s claims, Ocasio-Cortez asked him to name the specific RICO crimes he accused Biden of committing. When Boblinski stood his ground and defended his testimony, Ocasio-Cortez butted in at some point to insist that RICO was a “category” of crimes not a crime in itself.
“Rico is not a crime. It is a category. What is the crime?” she pressed Bobulinski.
Cruz was one of the many Republicans who criticized Ocasio-Cortez for her claim.
In a post to X, he wrote, “This is bizarre. RICO — the Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968—is most assuredly a crime. It often results in massive felony sentences. And yet @aoc — eager to defend Joe Biden — insists it’s not a crime.”
This is bizarre. RICO—the Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968—is most assuredly a crime.
It often results in massive felony sentences. And yet @aoc—eager to defend Joe Biden—insists it’s not a crime. https://t.co/5hxw4Jk4lv
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 21, 2024
Ocasio-Cortez responded to Cruz’s tweet, saying, “This is bizarre. RICO — the Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968—is most assuredly a crime. It often results in massive felony sentences. And yet @aoc — eager to defend Joe Biden — insists it’s not a crime.”
Wrong!
RICO is a statute under which specific crimes may be considered – kidnapping, robbery, arson, etc.
You need to name the crimes in order to substantiate RICO.
So… since you’re the expert, what RICO crimes and evidence does House GOP have? Since they don’t seem to know. https://t.co/FYVdK6Y2OO
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 21, 2024
Users found Ocasio-Cortez’s argument with Cruz particularly funny considering Cruz is an attorney with a Harvard Law degree who served as a Supreme Court clerk from 1996 to 1997. On the other hand, the Democrat was a bartender, waiting staff and activist before she ran for Congress.
X users were quick to point out the discrepancy in knowledge of the law between the two lawmakers, with a conservative user tweeting, “I think Ted Cruz who was the former attorney general of Texas knows more about the law than AOC. She not very smart.”
I think Ted Cruz who was the former attorney general of Texas knows more about the law than AOC. She not very smart 😒 https://t.co/pdOn5L0F1N
— Thomas Ravenel (@Thomasravenel) March 22, 2024
“One of the things I enjoy most about X is you can watch a former bartender arguing about RICO law with a guy who graduated from Harvard Law and then clerked for a Supreme Court justice before being elected as Attorney General of Texas,” another user wrote.
One of the things I enjoy most about X is you can watch a former bartender arguing about RICO law with a guy who graduated from Harvard Law and then clerked for a Supreme Court justice before being elected as Attorney General of Texas https://t.co/3zT7owucje
— Mike Feller (@MikeFeller1) March 21, 2024
A third user who also found hilarity in the situation, tweeted, “I find this effing hysterical. 🤣🤣 A former bartender @AOC is trying to school a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law and constitutional expert @tedcruz on exactly what RICO is. You can’t make this $hit up.”
I find this effing hysterical. 🤣🤣 A former bartender @AOC is trying to school a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law and constitutional expert @tedcruz on exactly what RICO is. You can’t make this $hit up. #thursdayvibes https://t.co/c0Px9NLq1i
— Stuck in New Jersey (@JP61926104) March 21, 2024
