Is AOC ‘Stuffing’ Her Donors with a ‘Bait and Switch’ Turkey Giveaway? [WATCH]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s annual Thanksgiving turkey distribution drew scrutiny this year after her appeal for contributions directed donors to a campaign fundraising page rather than to community groups coordinating the giveaway.

In an email sent two weeks before Thanksgiving, Ocasio-Cortez asked supporters, “Will you chip in $5 or anything you can today to help us bring the joy of the holiday season into homes around NYC this year?”

Selecting the link in the message led to an ActBlue page prompting a one-time or recurring political donation.

The page included a disclosure that it was “paid for by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress” and reminded contributors that donations were not tax-deductible.

AOC is already campaigning for Senate by using donations to hand out turkeys to districts “far and wide” in NYC and slapping her sticker on the boxes.

Of course, turkeys will go to many illegals. She doesn’t mention Americans once in her video.

She hates Americans.

(aoc on TT) pic.twitter.com/2luIskvv1x

— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) November 23, 2025

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Records show that since 2019, Ocasio-Cortez has participated in turkey distributions similar to those held by numerous New York City officials.

In 2021, she reported raising $33,589.64 for three local charities by directing donors to support organizations conducting the drives.

This year’s fundraising method differed from that prior structure, as contributions were collected through her campaign committee.

Former City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli said, “A campaign is not supposed to be a pass-through for charitable work.”

He questioned how funds would be used if contributions exceeded the cost of turkeys, adding, “This is a clear case of why a campaign is not a charitable organization.”

City Councilman Robert Holden, who hosts turkey drives without asking the public for donations, also commented.

“Socialists like AOC and Mamdani love to promise everything for free, but somehow it always ends with them shaking down working people under the guise of community good will,” he said.

“It is a typical bait and switch, pretending to be for the people while quietly pillaging them for every dollar they can get.”

A review conducted by The Post found that among more than a dozen New York City elected officials who run annual turkey programs, Ocasio-Cortez and Rep.

Gregory Meeks were the only two using campaign funds. Ocasio-Cortez was the only one who asked constituents to contribute financially.

Other officials worked with local charities, community groups, or grocery stores that donated turkeys.

City Council Member Sandra Ung distributed 526 turkeys last year donated by area businesses.

Federal Election Commission data for 2024 show Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign made a $13,101 purchase at Westside Foods in the Bronx three days before Thanksgiving.

That expenditure may have been related to the distribution.

Paul Kamenar of the National Legal and Policy Center reviewed the structure of the solicitation.

“She’s pitching: give it to me to help out people, and then it says it’s going to her benefit,” he said. He described the project as “a shady deal she’s cooking up here” and stated, “It appears that AOC’s turkey giveaway project may be a fraudulent scheme to solicit donations for her campaign.”

He added, “Clearly, a full investigation and audit need to be conducted.”

The FEC told The Post that politicians who solicit donations on behalf of community organizations are not required to report how much money is raised or how those funds are spent.

That means there is no official accounting of how many contributions result in turkey purchases or how much remains with the campaign.

AOC has been handing out turkeys in Queens and wishing people happy Thanksgiving.

That’s strange, AOC used to say “we are standing on native land, and Latinos are descendants of native people.”

Why the change of heart?

Also, is AOC pregnant? pic.twitter.com/wD7D8RGkR1

— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) November 26, 2024

Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign declined to explain why donors were directed to her political committee rather than to community groups, but her campaign manager Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben said, “For our Thanksgiving turkey fundraiser, we set a goal that we raise towards and if we surpass it then we order more.”

Ocasio-Cortez discussed the event in an Instagram story on Saturday.

“I want to talk to you all about all the contributions you’ve made,” she said.

“We’ve been able to provide over 1,600 turkeys in the Bronx, and then all of your support and fundraising has raised an additional $20,000 above our raise goal which we are giving 100% to local food pantries to help feed families this Thanksgiving.”

Past statements from the congresswoman list different totals for earlier years’ turkey distributions.

She wrote in her online pitch that she handed out 600 turkeys in 2024, while a campaign video from that year stated 1,000. She put her 2021 number at 650.

Her campaign did not answer follow-up questions about those figures.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Kiersten Pels commented on the arrangement.

“Ocasio-Cortez is running a con under the guise of a charity drive,” she said.

“Slapping a ‘turkey’ label on a campaign fundraiser to trick voters into thinking they’re helping charities is exactly the kind of scam that she and the socialist wing of the Democratic Party rely on.”

Meanwhile…

Who noticed The DNC is suddenly BROKE… right after USAID gets shut down. And now they’re out here begging for a $15 Million loan just to keep the lights on.

These people are TERRIBLE at everything — managing money, running a party, running the country, telling the truth…… pic.twitter.com/sZ5jX7IHhR

— Mike Netter (@nettermike) November 22, 2025

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