400 Runners Duped into Supporting AOC’s Campaign at Queens “Fun Run”

There is no shortage of people on social media suggesting that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is an intellectual lightweight. But until now, none have suggested she is sneaky.

AOC organized a 5k event in Queens Saturday that was advertised as “a Family Fun Run supporting U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal on the Saturday following Earth Day.”

What some of the 400 runners did not know going in was that the $30 registration fee was headed for the congresswoman’s campaign account.

“We’re getting together for our own health, for our planet’s health … and to fight for the Green New Deal together,” the freshman Democrat told the participants before they set off.

Green was, indeed, at the heart of it, as it turned out.

“A vaguely worded notices on AOC’s Facebook page — saying that the run would support “U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez & the Green New Deal” — worsened the confusion,” reported the New York Post. “But the fine print on a third event-related website revealed the truth. “Registration fees are contributions to AOC for Congress,” reads the legal disclosure on aoc5k.com, which lists the Federal Election Commission rules that donors must follow.”

An AOC spokesperson confirmed that the event was, as suspected, a campaign fundraiser, and a successful one, raising more than $11,000, according to reports.

American Thinker’s Monica Showalter began a piece about the event by asking, “Anybody starting to see a gamy pattern in how socialist ‘it girl’ does politics? Her latest thing was to hold a family ‘fun run’ to support what was called her Green New Deal, and nearly 400 people signed on. In reality, the fine print showed it was a garden-variety political fundraiser for her own campaign coffers rather than any green activity. Or, well, as the New York Post noted, other than dollar bills for herself. It follows reports that she’s under investigation for misuse of campaign funds and has failed to pay her federal income taxes.”

Before the race began, AOC addressed the approximately 400 participants, saying “We’re getting together for our own health, for our planet’s health … and to fight for the Green New Deal together.”

Children three years of age and up had to pay $20 each to take part in the 1k race. “Parents cannot donate to campaigns by way of children,” The Washington Examiner pointed out. “Half of the runners came from Ocasio-Cortez’s district, which covers the Bronx and Queens neighborhoods, while the other half were from further afield.”