Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stunned the political world and rank-in-file Democrats by defeating incumbent Joe Crowley in Tuesday’s New York primary. The Ocasio-Cortez win signaled the growing swing leftward for national Democrats, a party undergoing a power struggle and identity crisis after Trump’s election victory in 2016. The platform Ocasio-Cortez ran on was deeply progressive, calling on the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, nationalized health care, universal jobs guarantee and getting America to 100 percent green energy.
However, footage reveals that Ocasio-Cortez also has associates with regressive views.
One of Ocasio-Cortez’s most enthusiastic campaigners and a man who stood behind her at her victory party, Thomas Lopez-Pierre, is a known anti-Semite and racist. Lopez-Pierre has regularly used slurs against Jewish and black New Yorkers in public forums and while running for office himself.
While running for office in 2017, Lopez-Pierre specifically campaigned on “protecting tenants from greedy Jewish landlords.” Lopez-Pierre’s own campaign website shows his rantings agains “Greedy Jewish Landlords.” His campaign website applauds the arrest of “Greedy Jewish Landlords” and says that “Jewish Landlords” are “punishing” black and Hispanic families.
Lopez-Pierre’s twitter bio says he is protecting people from “greedy Jewish landlords.” In May of 2018, Lopez-Pierre ranted against “Greedy Jewish landlords,” saying Jesus should put them “In Hell.” Just this month Lopez-Pierre tweeted about “Greedy Jewish landlords.”
Lopez-Pierre also has tweeted about threatening white people and Jewish people with violence.
Lopez-Pierre denied he was an anti-Semite after public backlash against his comments and posted a video on his YouTube channel proclaiming that he will educate himself on Judaism by reading a books like “Capitalism And The Jews.”
On that same YouTube channel, Lopez-Pierre can be seen campaigning for Ocasio-Cortez. In a recent video, he is wearing a Ocasio-Cortez campaign shirt and declaring that he is campaigning against “greedy landlords.” The caption on the video reads: “Thomas Lopez-Pierre campaigning in the Bronx for Democratic Congressional Pro-Tenant Candidate (2018): Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – SHE WON!!!”
Lopez-Pierre also posted a video of him smiling at Ocasio-Cortez’s victory party as the candidate gives a speech about inclusion and tolerance.
Lopez-Pierre posted many pro-Ocasio-Cortez messages on Twitter, saying she will fight against “greedy landlords.”
I am so proud of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @Ocasio2018 for defeating @repjoecrowley, a @realDonaldTrump Democrat by thousands of votes. Alexandria can be trusted to help protect tenants from “Greedy Landlords” and reject corporate political campaign contributions. pic.twitter.com/Vmn2cNsCoH
— Thomas Lopez-Pierre (@VoteLopezPierre) June 27, 2018
In 2013 while running for city council, Lopez-Pierre sent a racist, homophobic email to a black supporter of his opponent, Mark Levine. The supporter, named Brain Benjamin, was called a “N***er” five times, a “Bitch” six times and saying he is a “weak, little short man who sucks White/Jewish cock.” Lopez-Pierre also threatened Benjamin with violence.
Lopez-Pierre admitted to sending the email. Here is the full, uncensored text of the racist email, according to Politico:
Subject: Brain Benjamin you uncle Tom Nigger bitch who sucks cook – Thomas Lopez-Pierre January 3, 2013
Brain Benjamin:
First I would like to say Happy New Year!
Now that bullshit is out of the way, I wanted to say this to your face but I did not want my words to be misunderstood.
So I am sending it to you in writing and sharing it with others.
I see that you are on the host committee for Mark Levine for City Council.
I would hope that one day you would give me the legal grounds to bitch slap you.
You are an uncle Tom Nigger bitch.
Its Nigger bitches like you that have sold out the Black people of Harlem.
To think there are about eight other candidates in this race that are Black and Hispanic and you decided to pick Mark Levine the only White/Jewish guy in the race to raise money for.
What good does it do our community (by this I mean Black and Hispanic people) to have uncle Tom Nigger bitches like you graduate from Ivy League schools if all you do is suck the cock of guys like Mark Levine.
All the best,
Thomas Lopez-Pierre
PS, The reason why you got your Nigger ass kicked (politically) by Jamaal Nelson when you ran for district leader is because Black people in Harlem can smell the Bitch in you.
They know that you are a weak, little short man who sucks White/Jewish cock.
Lopez-Pierre has posted many photos with prominent national Democrats, including President Obama, Al Sharpton, Bill DiBlasio, DNC Chair Tom Perez and Eric Holder.
The campaign of Ocasio-Cortez has not responded to requests for comment.
UPDATE: Ocasio-Cortez has denied ever knowing Lopez-Pierre on Twitter. Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet:
“No idea who this guy is, hundreds of folks walked into the hall open to the public last night. I absolutely denounce any such bigoted and reprehensible statements.”
