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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is praised by the experts for her interpretation in the testimony of Michael Cohen, but his questions are not limited to what one might believe.
Cohen, a former lawyer and mediator for President Donald Trump, testified publicly before the House Oversight Committee during a lengthy and sometimes heated hearing on Wednesday. Previously, he had pleaded guilty in two separate investigations – one led by the office of Special Advocate Robert Mueller, the other by the New York District District attorneys – and had been sentenced to three years in prison.
Read more: The most shocking statements and allegations from Michael Cohen's congressional testimony
Among the new Democratic students interviewing Cohen on Trump-related issues was Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who serves the 14th Congressional District of New York.
Ocasio-Cortez is imposed as a force in the House after defeating a long-time Democratic legislator in power, its boldly progressive agenda and its well-known tweets. (She has been described as a ghostwriter for those center-right and hero for those left-wing.)
Naturally, the questions posed by the representative Ocasio-Cortez attracted attention.
The experts praised her performance, including her use of time, the effectiveness of the questions, her lack of bullying and the fact that she asked for follow-ups to the questions asked more early during the hearing.
However, his questions, which dealt with Trump's finances, revealed something more.
Ocasio-Cortez followed the adage that "any policy is local"
Not only did she focus on her "residential neighborhood" (the Trump Links golf course in the Bronx, which taxpayers paid millions of dollars to build it), but she also put the emphasis about potential problems at the state level.
Ocasio-Cortez urged Cohen, asking if Trump had already inflated the assets of the insurance companies and deflated the value of the assets to the local tax authorities.
"In a few minutes, she was able to address very, very serious issues, and what was probably not noticed, was that she asked him to report any possible violations." of the New York state law, "said Jack Pitney, a professor of politics. Claremont McKenna College, said the local KPCC radio station in Southern California.
"Why is it important?" Pitney continued. "Well, if Trump is trying to bypass everything with a series of pardons that do not apply to the law violations of the state of New York."
This was picked up by Galen Druke of FiveThirtyEight.
"Ocasio-Cortez was the first to warn Trump of possible tax evasion," he wrote at a live blog dedicated to the audience. "The Southern District of New York and the State of New York are potentially investigating." Various legal experts believe that investigations in these countries pose more of a legal threat to Trump than to Mueller's. . "
She argued that the House oversight committee should continue its investigation.
During his allotted time, Ocasio-Cortez specifically asked Cohen whether the talks with Trump's corporate finance director, Allen Weisselberg, and the Trump tax assignment were a necessary part of the committee's investigation, thus preparing the ground necessary for the examination of these issues.
"To your knowledge, has the president ever provided inflated assets to an insurance company?" Ocasio-Cortez asked.
"Yes," replied Cohen.
"Who else knows that the president did that?" she continued.
"Allen Weisselberg, Ron Lieberman and Matthew Calamari," Cohen replied.
"And where could the committee find more information about this?" Ocasio-Cortez asked. "Do you think we need to look at his financial statements and tax returns to compare them?"
"Yes, and you'll find it at the Trump Org.", Replied Cohen, referring to the Trump organization.
Ocasio-Cortez subsequently asked about allegations of tax evasion evoked in a New York Times investigation, to which Cohen responded that he was not with Trump in the 1990s, but that Weisselberg's and Trump's tax returns would help the committee continue its investigation.
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