Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and the other seven Democratic congressmen who make up her “Squad” spent more than $1.2 million on private security. The data, provided by the Federal Election Commission, calls these representatives into question, since they are some of the biggest advocates of the defund the police movement. Apparently, this does not stop them from spending enormous amounts of money on their own security.
Missouri Rep. Cori Bush spends the most money on her private security. According to data provided by The New York Post, the congresswoman expended more than $730,000.
It should be noted that the budget that Bush allocated to improve her security dates from before she took her seat in the House of Representatives in 2021. Dating back to 2019, the representative has paid $736,748 for private security. Part of these funds ($380,947) went to Peace Security, a company based in St. Louis. The company has conservative beliefs and advocates for the Second Amendment, which contradicts the views expressed by the congresswoman.
This budget also includes the $75,000 Bush spent on private security for her husband, Courtney Merritts. This decision earned the congresswoman a lawsuit from the Federal Election Commission in March of this year that began two weeks before the car in which both were traveling was shot at, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
AOC is the second-highest spender on private security
The second-highest spender is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). The Federal Election Commission says the congresswoman spent more than $272,000 on private security since 2019. Specifically, she spent nearly $2,000 to install security systems at her Queens and Bronx offices, more than $20,000 to improve "internet" or "digital" security, $4,263 to upgrade security equipment in her office, and another $521 on what she described as "security barriers."
The list is closed by Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) who has spent more than $125,000 since 2019; Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) who allocated $64,763; Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) with $20,480; Jamaal Browman (D-N.Y.) with a budget of $7,872; and Greg Casar (D-Texas) who allocated $1,570. Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) has not yet disclosed her spending on private security.
The budget they allocate contradicts their strong defense of the defund the police movement. Zach Smith of the conservative group Heritage Foundation told the New York Post that the spending was "incredibly hypocritical" considering that representatives "have been at the forefront of the defund the police movement."
Paul Kamenar, attorney at the National Legal and Policy Center, agreed with Smith that spending is "hypocritical" taking into account the growing problem citizens are facing with their own safety: "They’re spending all this money for their security but they are not worried about the security of their constituents," he said.
