Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is pressing the Justice Department to reveal whether she — or her office — is under federal investigation.
In a letterto newly confirmed attorney general Pam Bondi, the New York Democrat pointed to recent remarks from border czar Tom Homan, in which he stated that he had asked the acting deputy attorney general, Emil Bove, to investigate Ocasio-Cortez. She had not received any referral from the federal government since then, she said.
“I write to request clarity on whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) has yielded to political pressure and attempts to weaponize the agency against elected officials whose speech they disagree with,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote to Bondi. “Over the past two weeks, ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan has gone on multiple forums threatening political prosecution against me, citing resources I distributed informing my constituents and the American public of their constitutional and legal rights.”
Earlier this month, Ocasio-Cortez had hosted a ‘Know Your Rights’ webinar, during which she offered guidance for those interfacing with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Ocasio-Cortez argued that her speech was protected by the First Amendment, and Homan’s comments amounted to a threat to her rights.
The lawmaker is asking for an update from DOJ on the status of the investigation — if there is one — by March 5. She copied President Donald Trump on the letter.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.
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