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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., raised legal experts’ eyebrows after claiming that “RICO is not a crime” while she questioned former Hunter Biden associate Tony Bobulinski in a House hearing.
Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett joined “FOX & Friends” on Thursday to respond to statements from the New York Democrat at the Biden impeachment probe hearing.
“It’s absolutely a crime. 18 U.S.C. 1961 through 68. She might try bothering to read it. … Just add it to the growing list of stupefying remarks by her. This one is truly mind-boggling. The very word ‘racketeering’ in the [RICO] acronym conjures up serious criminality. But this is a pattern with AOC. Whenever she opens her mouth, she tends to embarrass herself with a fundamental lack of knowledge,” said Jarrett.
“Is it your testimony today that you personally witnessed President Joe Biden commit a crime?” AOC asked while staring down Bobulinski at the hearing.
However, before Bobulinski could even answer, he was cut off by the animated progressive representative, repeating the same question to him.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Tony Bobulinski got into a heated exchange in which the progressive congresswoman claimed “RICO is not a crime.” (Getty Images)
“How much time do I have to go through it?” Bobulinski shot back, listing off a number of crimes and alleging the president committed a RICO violation and was involved in financial corruption regarding his business dealings with his son Hunter.
RICO refers to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which targets dishonest business activities such as money laundering as well as organized crime.
“What is the crime, sir, specifically?” AOC demanded.
“You asked me to answer the question. I answered the question. RICO, you’re obviously not familiar with. Corruption statutes. FARA,” Bobulinski replied, referencing the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
“Excuse me, sir. Excuse me, sir. RICO is not a crime. It is a category,” AOC defiantly exclaimed.
“It’s a category of crimes that you are then charged under,” Bobulinski said, before AOC began talking over him.
“The Five” co-host Judge Jeanine Pirro also weighed in on the show, saying AOC is “embarrassing herself” with her statements made during the hearing.
Video“She is so out of her depth that she has no idea what she’s talking about. Ideology is taking over her common sense,” said Pirro.
“Anyone knows it’s a crime. It’s a pattern of racketeering activity. And it clearly is, according to Bobulinski, covered by the Biden crime family.“
Former Whitewater deputy independent counsel Sol Wisenberg also disputed AOC’s claims on “America’s Newsroom.”
“RICO is a crime. It’s a federal statute,” he told host Dana Perino.
Wisenberg added that Democrats were trying to divert attention from what Bobulinski, a Navy veteran, was saying about his interactions with the Biden family.
“He’s a hero, and served his country honorably. So he cannot be attacked on substance. And so they have to divert attention, like they did,” said Wisenberg.
President Biden has continued to ask Congress to close the impeachment investigation and has denied allegations of any wrongdoing.
Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
VideoElizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.
