Ocasio-Cortez office opening followed by controversy

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Jackson Heights) Queens’ office is up and running in Jackson Heights as of Monday, according to her spokesman Corbin Trent.

“It is opened for business,” said Trent. “People are coming in and are doing their thing.”

There is still some work that needs to be done on putting up phone lines and administrative setting up the House administrative system, but essentially the office is open and functional, according to Trent on the March 4 opening. The office is staffed with approximately four people to meet constituent needs.

Ocasio-Cortez attempted to take over her predecessor Joe Crowley’s office, but the rent went from $7,800 to $15,000, according to the congresswoman’s camp. Her office is instead at the Bruson Building, located at 74-09 37th Ave., which is $5,400 a month.

The Bruson Building was chosen by Ocasio-Cortez because of its “space, location and price,” according to Trent.

The building was created in 1949 to be a neighborhood hub and consists of four stories and 57 units, according to New York Engineers, which provides engineering consulting services. The building was reopened in 2017 after a five-alarm fire three years earlier.

“It is easy to access by constituents, it has the right size space and it was reasonable for the taxpayer dollars,” said Trent. “Community events will be there.”

When it came to speaking on the change in leadership for Queens County Democrats since her predecessor left his chairman role abruptly last month after being elected to the position in September, there was hope for citizens to be more engaged about local government, according to Trent.

“There will be lots of interest and activity,” said Trent. “People will take more interest in their local politics.”

In regards to the recent bombshell allegations of Ocasio-Cortez allegedly violating campaign finance laws, her lawyers claimed there was no misappropriation of funds and categorically denied the allegations.

“The activities of Brand New Congress PAC, Brand New Congress LLC, Justice Democrats, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress have at all times been conducted fully in compliance with the federal campaign finance laws. The implications in recent press accounts that these entities in any way operated with less than full transparency or in some way to skirt to law, are absolutely and unequivocally false,” read a statement from David Mitrani, lawyer at Sandler, Reiff, Lamb, Rosenstein & Birkenstock PC, in Washington D.C.

The allegations surfaced just days after the progressive darling questioned President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen about the POTUS’ own finances.

During a Fox News segment, where the congresswoman was shown to be followed by the news station reporters on March 5 as she was questioned on the same subject, Ocasio-Cortez said, “there was no violation.”

A Bronx office for the congresswoman is also in the works.