Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) went on a fiery tirade during an intense exchange in an impeachment hearing against President Joe Biden that took place in March of 2024, when former Hunter Biden business associate Tony Bobulinski was testifying. Republican lawmakers have been investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings and whether Joe Biden was involved.
Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, testified before the House Oversight Committee this week, offering substantial evidence in the GOP-led investigation. Chairman James Comer (R-KY) had also extended invitations to Hunter Biden and Devon Archer, another former business partner of the president’s son. However, those two chose not to attend the hearing.
During his testimony, Bobulinksi claimed he had previously witnessed potentially criminal actions committed by President Biden. However, Ocasio-Cortez pressed Bobulinski on his statements, questioning him, “I heard your opening statement is submitted to the record part of our proceedings. I have a quick question. Simple. Is it your testimony today that you personally witnessed President Joe Biden commit a crime?”
AOC repeatedly interrupted Bobulinksi as he attempted to answer the congresswoman’s question. As she asked him to name specific crimes that the president committed, Bobulinksi answered, “corruption statutes, RICO and conspiracy, DARA.”
Between the chaotic back and forth, where AOC was shouting down the witness, she claimed that RICO was not considered a crime per se but rather a category of crime. “Excuse me, sir. RICO is not a crime. It is a category. What is the crime?” she continued.
Republicans have blasted AOC on social media following this assertion, where Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) posted on X, “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.”
While shouting over Bobulinski to reclaim her time, Ocasio-Cortez went on a rant claiming that the entire impeachment inquiry had failed to accuse the President of a high crime or misdemeanor, a critical component of an impeachment inquiry.
“What we are seeing here today is a continuation of the 15 month saga of the Republican majority lost in the desert. Impeachment 101. The majority party or whomever is raising impeachment must accuse the president of a high crime a specific high crime or misdemeanor I would like to submit to the record H res 918. The House Resolution to open this impeachment inquiry,” she said. “This resolution does not outline a high crime or misdemeanor. It’s not here.”
Watch AOC’s meltdown during the impeachment hearing below:
Earlier in the hearing, Bobulinksi claimed that Hunter Biden’s legal team had attempted to “weaponize” letters to Congress in order to interfere with his testimony toward President Biden. “Hunter Biden’s defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, weaponizes letters to Congress to try to smear my name and make the cold hard facts in an attempt to save his powerfully connected client and his father. I challenged Mr. Lowell to make those claims on national television so he can be held accountable for his lies,” he stated.
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.