The campaign arm of the Republicans in the House of Representatives is putting pressure on their Democratic colleagues to return donations from New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The National Republican Congressional Committee launched a website on Monday called “Socialist Give Back”, listing 26 House Democrats who have received funds from Ms Ocasio-Cortez.
The website says: “Vulnerable House Democrats are being bankrolled by radical socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who wants to defund the police, implement government-run health care and open our borders. Which Democrats will give back her socialist cash?”
The new NRCC site comes after Politico reported earlier this month that the New York Democrat donated $5,000 to a number of her House colleagues in an effort to help keep the House majority in the upcoming 2022 midterms.
Several Democrats have already returned the funds, including New Hampshire representative Chris Pappas. A spokesperson for Mr Pappas cited a “clerical error” and added that “wire transfer information was given out in error” by the Democratic Congressional campaign committee, WMUR reported. Ms Ocasio-Cortez's political action committee “Courage to Change” donated the money on 29 March.
Other Democratic representatives who returned the cash or declined the initial transfer to avoid being slammed by Republicans for receiving money from one of the most progressive members of the House include Pennsylvania's Conor Lamb, Michigan's Elissa Slotkin, Georgia's Carolyn Bourdeaux, and Wisconsin's Ron Kind.
DCCC spokesman Chris Hayden told Politico: “We appreciate Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's ongoing commitment to a Democratic majority. Due to a miscommunication, some transfers were made in error, but that has been addressed.”
Ms Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the top targets for Republican criticism and she has also publicly clashed with moderate Democrats, who are key to keeping control of the House, on several occasions.
The Federal Election Commission fundraising reporting deadline for the first quarter of 2021 was 15 April.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez sent the campaign contributions without involving the DCCC, the Democrats' campaign arm with which she has also openly sparred.
The Independent has reached out to Ms Ocasio-Cortez for comment.
