Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign taken for a ride by Lyft-hailing fraudster: documents

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign committee fell victim to fraud by someone who rang up $873.17 worth of bogus charges with ride-sharing company Lyft, according to federal records reviewed by Raw Story.

Lyft on May 25 reimbursed Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign, which in a filing with the Federal Election Commission described the matter as a “refund of fraudulent charges.”

The campaign committee of Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, is a frequent Lyft customer, having taken dozens of trips together worth several thousand dollars this year, federal records indicate.

The documents do not detail who is responsible for the fraudulent charges or how Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign first identified the fraud.

Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign declined to answer questions about the matter, including whether the person or people responsible for the fraudulent charges are associated with the campaign.

“We won't have a comment on this story,” Ocasio-Cortez campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt told Raw Story on Friday.

Lyft spokesperson Shadawn Reddick-Smith said the company also did not have a comment.

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A disclosure document filed by the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress campaign committee that indicates "fraudulent charges" caused it to lose hundreds of dollars. The committee said it recouped the money. Source: Federal Election Commission

Epidemic of political theft

Ocasio-Cortez is hardly alone in experiencing political committee fraud.

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Political Action Committee, for one, appears to have had $6,000 stolen from it on June 20, according to Federal Election Commission records.

“Fraudulent Disbursement. Created by third party. To be refunded after investigation,” the Goldman Sachs PAC wrote to federal regulators.

The recipient of the fraudulent disbursement is listed as "Harold Sparks," although it's unclear who Sparks is.

Representatives for Goldman Sachs did not respond to messages prior to publication of this article. Following publication, Abbey Collins, Goldman Sachs' vice president of corporate communications, said the banking giant was declining comment.

Meanwhile, numerous other politicians and political committees have likewise experienced thefts from their campaign coffers that in recent years have added up to millions of donor dollars across dozens of political campaign committees.

The federal political action committee for Goldman Sachs Group reported a "fraudulent disbursement" of $6,000 from its campaign account on June 20. Source: Federal Election Commission

Many of the committees have acknowledged flaws in their internal security protocols. And some have failed to recover significant portions of the cash they’ve lost despite the efforts of law enforcement and banks to retrieve it.

Raw Story in recent weeks has identified several members of Congress and PACs who’ve been victimized by fraudsters in what’s become open season on politicians’ campaign accounts.

RELATED ARTICLE: Fraud warning: State Farm's political action committee victim of theft

In June, Raw Story revealed a theft from the Oregon Republican Party.

In May, Raw Story reported that the Managed Funds Association PAC was targeted more than 20 times between Jan. 1 and March 31, initially losing $147,000 in fraudulent check payments, although it appears to have since recouped the money, according to filings with the FEC.

The Retired Americans PAC, a super PAC that supports Democrats, recouped more than $150,000 it lost in late 2022 after paying fraudulent bills sent to the committee, according to an April 21 letter to the Federal Election Commission, Raw Story reported.

The FBI got involved when Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) was the victim of a cybertheft incident late last year that initially cost his campaign $690,000.

Other current and former Republican members of Congress targeted by thieves include Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas (his campaign lost $157,626), former Rep. John Katko of New York ($14,000), Rep. Neal Dunn of Florida ($10,855), Rep. Russell Fry of South Carolina ($2,607.98) and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida ($362.04).

The Republican National Committee and Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) also experienced recent campaign cash thefts.

Bipartisan targets

As Ocasio-Cortez’s situation underscores, the problem isn’t unique to Republicans: In November, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s campaign fell victim to check fraud worth $10,085, and President Joe Biden’s 2020 Democratic presidential campaign committee lost at least $71,000, according to Insider.

One-time Democratic presidential candidate and congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and rapper-turned-2020 presidential candidate Ye, formerly Kanye West, are among others who reported money stolen from their political accounts.

Are Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard's loony foreign policy positions making her scared to debate her challengers? Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii is among numerous politicians current and former who've had money stolen from their political committees. Wikimedia Commons

At the end of February, the Business Industry Political Action Committee — the nation's oldest federal business — reported losing $14,156 to thieves, while the federal PAC of State Farm Insurance lost $12,220 to thieves, Raw Story first reported.

In March, the Energy Marketers of America Small Business Committee PAC reported to the FEC $5,000 in check fraud supporting Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and thieves went on a $195 shopping spree at Chick-fil-A with funds for Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), according to a March FEC filing.

Other fraud victims this year include Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH), whose campaign was able to reverse a $621.96 unauthorized purchase on February 17, according to an FEC filing reviewed by Raw Story.

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC)’s campaign lost $2,500 with a fraudulent payment on February 27, according to an FEC filing, and the International Longshoremen’s Association, a labor union, was able to get a $726.42 fraudulent automatic payment on the same date reversed, according to an FEC filing.

RELATED ARTICLE: Crime spree hits one of Trump’s top supporters in Congress

The Build Political Action Committee of the National Association of Home Builders (BUILDPAC) reported $500 and some change in fraudulent debits on February 27, according to an FEC filing.

The McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceutical and medical supplies company, informed the FEC that it, too, had fallen victim to someone who "created, forged and cashed a fictitious PAC check for $12,000" on Nov. 7.

The McKesson Company Employees Political Fund notified its bank "immediately upon discovery of the fraudulent activity" and attempted to secure return of the lost funds.

"To date," the committee added, "the bank has not returned the stolen funds."

The political action committees of Google, National Association of Manufacturers, Consumer Technology Association, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, MoveOn.org, and law firms Akerman LLP and Blank Rome LLP have also experienced theft of various kinds, be it cyber theft, forgeries or check tampering, according to Insider.

Alexandria Jacobson contributed to this report.

This article was updated July 24, 2023, to reflect that Goldman Sachs declined to comment.

For customer support contact support@rawstory.com. Report typos and corrections to corrections@rawstory.com.

Trump admin may put 'small children' at risk of brain damage with disturbing move: report

The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft risk assessment recently that has public health advocates sounding the alarm, The Guardian reported on Sunday.

“The political people at the EPA changed the science to get the outcome they want,” said Maria Doa, the senior director of chemicals policy at the Environmental Defense Fund and former EPA scientist, speaking with The Guardian. “This isn’t the first time. They’ve been doing that pretty consistently under Trump.”

According to the assessment, EPA officials found that TBBPA — a highly toxic flame retardant used to reduce the flammability of plastics and other consumer products — was "unlikely to be used in fabrics and textiles.” Furthermore, the assessment included language that advocates described as an attempt to “downplay the risks” of the “highly toxic and profitable chemical.”

And yet, despite the EPA’s claims in its assessment — which “will be used to set regulations” for TBBPA — advocates say the agency came to its conclusions using data from industries poised to profit from loosened regulations around the toxic flame retardant.

In some cases, the EPA’s claims — notably that TBBPA is “unlikely” to be used in clothing and textiles — were outright false, argued the nonprofit organization Earthjustice.

“There’s a lot of underestimation of the risk, and they’re ignoring different exposure pathways… and we’re definitely seeing them cite industry sources,” said Lakendra Barajas, a senior attorney for Earthjustice, speaking with The Guardian.

The EPA itself also "contradicted" its own findings, with a separate assessment finding that "TBBPA is still widely used in textiles, including 96 types of children’s clothing," The Guardian noted.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has labeled TBBPA a probable carcinogen, and further studies have linked the chemical to “hormone disruption, brain damage, immune system toxicity and developmental harms in children, including to the reproductive and nervous systems,” The Guardian’s report reads. The chemical, The Guardian notes, is “especially” dangerous to “small children.”

“Small molecule TBBPA, as used in plastics and in consumer products, should be restricted,” said Arlene Blum, an environmental health scientist and author, speaking with The Guardian. “It can get into humans and contribute to cancer and behavioral harm. Infants and toddlers who crawl in the dust and put their hands in their mouths are especially vulnerable.”

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'Too much for too long': U.S. Military turns on Pete Hegseth over mounting risk

The U.S. Military has turned on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the mounting war in Iran, according to a new report.

Several U.S. military leaders warned Hegseth this month that prolonging President Donald Trump's war with Iran would put the U.S. homeland at risk — essentially arguing the conflict is unsustainable, sources told the Washington Post.

"Overall, the tenor from the military leadership is that the ongoing Iran operation, having reached the six-month mark, has been 'too much for too long,'" an insider told the Post.

"Certain generals and admirals were more expansive and frank than is usual in telling Hegseth they disagreed with orders to keep providing equipment and personnel when the operation’s trajectory remains uncertain."

The Army, Navy and Air Force and the four-star commanders overseeing U.S. operations abroad delivered these warnings to Hegseth via the Aug. 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, sources told the Post.

Of concern was Trump's efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which have necessitated military action remain a possibility, according to the report. That means U.S. Central Command, the headquarters responsible for prosecuting the war, must keep 50,000 troops on alert for months, the Post reported.

"The Aug. 14 orders book directs some troops deployed in the Middle East to remain there through September and some others into 2027," the report stated. "The prospect of extending those forces further compelled military leaders to voice their concern, these people said."

Meanwhile, U.S. operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America have had lost ships, aircraft and other equipment to the conflict, limiting their ability to conduct missions, the report stated.

The Navy, in particular, said it has had to stretch capacity to keep up with Trump's wartime demands, according to the Post.

The warnings reveal just what a precarious situation Trump has found himself in, the report concludes.

"The military’s warning to Hegseth...offers new insight into the administration’s dilemma as Trump seeks to end the conflict on terms favorable to the United States," the report states.

"Iran, cognizant of the war’s unpopularity with most Americans and its mounting toll on the U.S. arsenal, refuses to capitulate."

Trump imperils fight against deadly parasite as thousands of Americans grow sick: report

The Trump administration is actively making it harder for the federal government to fight a deadly foodborne parasite that has left Americans terrified of lettuce, according to a new report.

The Agriculture department is shuttering two of three projects to study cyclospora even as 17,000 Americans have been sickened this summer, Politico reported Sunday. The third project is being moved to Iowa — despite scientists refusing to relocate.

Barbara Kowalcyk, an associate professor at George Washington’s Milken Institute of Public Health, explained just one of multiple risks; “Do you want them shipping highly pathogenic strains of bacteria in a truck across the country?”

The problem begins at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, a Maryland facility outside Washington, D.C. that the Trump administration has deemed to costly to run after Congress slashed the budget for two key projects, according to Politico.

BARC is where experts with decades of experience study cyclospora, which has already claimed two lives amid an ongoing outbreak, according to the report. Multiple sources told Politico the move to Iowa could cause harm for years to come.

“There are very few people in the world that study these [parasites],” Joelle Mosso, associate vice president for science growers at the Western Growers Association, told Politico. “It’s not just replacing the lab. It takes decades to build expertise.”

Thats because scientists are retiring rather than relocate or take on different projects, two USDA employees told Politico.

“They will have no parasitologists,” said one. “There will be a big knowledge gap.”

The BARC scientists who have opted to relocate in a few weeks have been told that their research equipment may not follow for months, according to three people familiar with the planning.

According to Politico, this will leave them effectively unable to work.

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