Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Campaign Fined For Workers Compensation Coverage Violation

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and did so while espousing a political philosophy that she’s described as Democratic Socialism. But CNN reported that the congresswoman’s campaign was fined by the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board for not having adequate workers comp coverage for their staff between March and April 2018.

Ocasio-Cortez won the Democratic primary against Joe Crowley, a top-tier member of the Democratic Party, in June 2018. Her win was considered a huge upset as she was outspent by Crowley and campaigned on issues that many consider too far-left, like free college tuition, strict environmental laws, universal housing rights, and Medicare for all.

Her advocacy for worker’s rights, therefore, seems incongruous with a fine for failing to ensure that her staff had adequate coverage.

“The employer did not have the required workers’ compensation coverage from March 31, 2018, to April 30, 2018, and was issued a final penalty of $1,500, which was paid,” said New York State Workers’ Compensation Board spokeswoman Melissa Stewart of Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign, via a statement.

This coverage is “vital to ensuring workers are protected for on-the-job injuries,” Stewart added.

As of this writing, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has not responded to the CNN story via her official Twitter account. Currently, Her most recent tweet expresses support for TSA workers who have been forced to work without pay during the partial government shutdown now in its fourth week.

“How can the GOP expect all TSA & other workers to reliably show up without a paycheck?” she wrote on Twitter.

“Workers rely on services like childcare and transit to work in the first place. Those services don’t take IOUs.”

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's campaign fined by New York for not having workers' compensation coverage for a month https://t.co/ZYiXZJiMD7 pic.twitter.com/HbzhcmPLPA

— CNN (@CNN) January 12, 2019

Since she beat Crowley, Ocasio-Cortez has had to deal with multiple attempts to undermine her credibility. She’s been labeled as a “radical” by politicians on the left and right of the aisle. Many have described the 29-year-old former bartender as someone who is too young and idealistic to know how the world works.

In interviews, she has often asked how the government could possibly pay for the policy ideas she’s put forward.

“No one asks how we’re going to pay for this Space Force. No one asked how we paid for a $2 trillion tax cut,” she said during an interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes.

“We only ask how we pay for it on issues of housing, health care, and education. How do we pay for it? With the same exact mechanisms that we pay for military increases for this Space Force. For all of these ambitious policies.”