Politics

NY Communist Party Leader Worked For AOC

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Julianna Frieman Contributor
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A former staffer for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is now a senior official for the New York State Communist Party.

Justine Medina, an ex-aide, was employed as a political organizer in 2020 between February and November by the progressive lawmaker from New York’s 14th congressional district, according to New York Post.

Media was paid a salary of more than $35,000 by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, records from the Federal Election Commission show.

Medina was named “Co-Chair of the New York Young Communist League” by People’s World, a Communist Party newspaper after the 2020 Presidential Election. Today, she is identified as a member of the “Executive Committee of the New York State Communist Party,” according to the same publication.

Medina’s ideology manifested in her social media posts prior to and throughout her employment with Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.

“Communism is about equality, democracy, peace, the advancement of workers, the oppressed, and humanity in general,” Medina wrote on Twitter. “It is true the path there will be unkind to those who block progress, but Communism is good and should not scare you.”

Medina was responsible for “organizing and writing policy language with Anti-War Veterans & the Peace Movement” when she was employed by AOC’s campaign, according to a tweet from March.

AOC continues to follow Medina on Twitter. Medina has previously posted pictures of herself with “The Squad” leader. (RELATED: House Dems Urge Biden To Drop Sanctions On Social Dictatorships To Alleviate Border Crisis)

Medina has used the media attention from the New York Post’s story to promote a “Rent Rollback” protest against New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a Saturday Twitter post.

“If y’all can be in NYC on May 20th, come out to this,” Medina wrote. “Every housing rights group and socialist organization is going to be there — we are coming together to DEMAND accountability from our electeds.”

This is not the first time Medina participated in progressive protests. She was arrested twice in June 2020 during the Black Lives Matter riots, complaining on Twitter that the cops’ zip-ties were too tight. An attempt to deface a plaque honoring Fred Trump in Woodhaven, Queens led to another arrest.

Medina was involved in organizing efforts to unionize Amazon’s workforce, playing a significant role in preventing the company from opening headquarters in New York City, according to New York Post.

Her father, Cuban-American lawyer Omar Medina, has donated thousands of dollars to Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, according to the Federal Election Commission.  He has a history of lawsuits, having his license suspended for making false statements on behalf of a client and being sued for wage theft.

“As for her allegiance to the Communist Party, I could not be further removed from that. It’s a big problem.” Omar Medina told New York Post. “My family escaped communism, and my daughter is misguided as to the benefits that political system provides, it flat out just doesn’t work.”