Some big changes came to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s office last Friday when the New York Democrat’s chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, and communications director, Corbin Trent, announced their sudden resignations. While Trent moved on to focus on AOC’s 2020 re-election campaign, Chakrabarti joined a progressive organization focused on climate change and the Green New Deal — but it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the former chief of staff.
Just one day after Chakrabarti’s resignation, the New York Post reported that AOC’s former top staffer is the subject of an ongoing federal probe into alleged campaign finance violations committed by him during Ocasio-Cortez’s 2018 congressional campaign.
Feds probe Chakrabarti
Citing unnamed federal sources, the Post reported that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) opened up an inquiry into alleged misdeeds by Chakrabarti after formal complaints were filed against him earlier this year.
The primary focus of the probe is Chakrabarti’s role in founding two political action committees (PACs), called Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats, which helped Ocasio-Cortez get elected.
Specifically, investigators are looking into allegations of improper relations and the illegal funneling of money through those two PACs to a pair of private, for-profit companies that Chakrabarti also founded around the same time.
Dubious financial transfers
It has been alleged that more than $1 million in political donations were illegally funneled through the PACs to the private companies, known as Brand New Congress LLC and Brand New Campaign LLC, per a complaint filed in March by a government watchdog group known as the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC).
That sum constitutes roughly one-third of the estimated $3.3 million raised in 2016 and 2017 by the pair of PACs, which focus on getting progressive leftists elected to Congress. It is thought the money was shifted from the PACs to the private company as a way to sidestep the strict federal regulations on transparency governing fundraising and spending by PACs — regulations that don’t apply to private companies.
There are also concerns that the dubious shifting of the funds may have resulted in illegal contributions in excess of $5,000 from the PACs to various political candidates, like Ocasio-Cortez, on top of allegations that Chakrabarti may have lined his own pockets with some of the money in the process.
That particular allegation was given room to run in light of staff salary changes implemented by Ocasio-Cortez that saw many staffers get a raise, while Chakrabarti took a massive pay cut.
Chakrabarti’s pay cut from an average chief of staff salary of $146,830 down to $80,000 placed him well below the threshold of $120,000 that would have required him to make official disclosures of his outside income and other financial information.
A reckoning is coming
Aside from the potential campaign finance violations that Chakrabarti is being investigated over, the timing of his sudden resignation also comes following heightened in-fighting among moderate and progressive Democrats — fighting that Chakrabarti played a key role in instigating with remarks that compared moderate Democrats to old, racist segregationists.
It remains to be seen what, if anything, will come from this FEC inquiry into Chakrabarti, but we can rest assured that there are folks on both sides of the political aisle who would like nothing more than to see Chakrabarti held fully accountable.
523 Responses
Good information. Lucky me I ran across your website by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve saved as a favorite for later!
I used to be able to find good info from your articles.
Right here is the perfect site for anybody who would like to find out about this topic. You know a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a brand new spin on a subject which has been written about for many years. Great stuff, just wonderful!
I love looking through an article that will make men and women think. Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I certainly loved every bit of it. I have got you book marked to look at new stuff you post…
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through a few of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Regardless, I’m certainly pleased I came across it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back regularly!
You’ve made some decent points there. I checked on the web for more information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website.
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon every day. It will always be exciting to read articles from other authors and practice a little something from their web sites.
Hi, I do think your blog may be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Apart from that, fantastic site!
After looking over a number of the articles on your web page, I honestly appreciate your way of blogging. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the near future. Take a look at my web site as well and let me know how you feel.
Hi there! This article couldn’t be written any better! Looking at this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I most certainly will send this post to him. Fairly certain he’ll have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
You’ve made some really good points there. I looked on the web for more information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes that will make the biggest changes. Many thanks for sharing!
An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment. I do think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but typically folks don’t talk about such issues. To the next! Kind regards!!
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this article and the rest of the site is also really good.
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you should write more about this subject matter, it may not be a taboo matter but typically people don’t speak about these topics. To the next! Many thanks!!
Hello there! This article couldn’t be written any better! Looking through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he’s going to have a great read. Many thanks for sharing!
This is a topic that’s near to my heart… Cheers! Exactly where are your contact details though?
You need to be a part of a contest for one of the greatest sites on the net. I will recommend this blog!
I really like it when folks come together and share thoughts. Great blog, keep it up!
You ought to be a part of a contest for one of the most useful blogs online. I am going to recommend this website!
An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. There’s no doubt that that you need to write more on this subject, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people don’t speak about such topics. To the next! Cheers!!
You’re so interesting! I do not believe I’ve read anything like that before. So wonderful to discover somebody with unique thoughts on this issue. Really.. thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that’s needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!
When I initially commented I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I receive 4 emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is a way you are able to remove me from that service? Appreciate it!
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve visited this website before but after going through many of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Regardless, I’m certainly happy I stumbled upon it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often!
I needed to thank you for this good read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you book marked to check out new stuff you post…
That is a good tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere. Short but very accurate information… Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
That is a good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Brief but very accurate info… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read article!
high authority dofollow backlinks gov
Your style is so unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this blog.
bookmarked!!, I love your site!
Everything is very open with a very clear clarification of the issues. It was definitely informative. Your website is extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing!
May I simply say what a relief to find somebody who really understands what they are discussing over the internet. You certainly realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people have to check this out and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you aren’t more popular because you definitely possess the gift.
I absolutely love your blog.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you develop this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my very own site and want to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Appreciate it!
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a friend who has been doing a little homework on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner simply because I found it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to talk about this topic here on your blog.
Having read this I believed it was extremely informative. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this information together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
There is certainly a lot to find out about this topic. I like all of the points you have made.
I quite like reading through a post that can make people think. Also, thank you for allowing me to comment!
I’m amazed, I must say. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which too few people are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I stumbled across this during my hunt for something relating to this.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I am hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own, personal site now 😉