AOC experienced a meltdown during the Capitol Hill hearings on March 20, 2024, while Tony Bobulinksi, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, testified.
Here's the video.
And here's the transcript:
Ocasio-Cortez: “Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Bobulinski, I — I heard your opening statement. It’s submitted to the record part of our proceedings. I have a quick question. Simple. Is it your testimony today that you personally witnessed President Joe Biden commit a crime?”
BOBULINSKI: “I believe the fact that he was sitting with me while I was putting together a business deal —”
Ocasio-Cortez: “Did you witness the president commit a crime? Is it your testimony today?”
BOBULINSKI: “Yes.”
Ocasio-Cortez: “And what crime? Do you — have you witnessed.”
BOBULINSKI: “How much time do I have to go through it?”
Ocasio-Cortez: “It is simple. You name the crime. Did you watch him steal something?”
BOBULINSKI: “Corruption statutes, RICO and conspiracy, FARA —”
Ocasio-Cortez: “What is it — what is — what is the crime, sir?”
BOBULINSKI: “You — you won’t —”
Ocasio-Cortez: “Specifically —”
BOBULINSKI: “You just — you keep — you asked me to answer the question. I answered the question.”
Ocasio-Cortez: “No. “
BOBULINSKI: “RICO, you’re obviously not familiar with. Corruption statutes.”
Ocasio-Cortez: “Excuse me, sir! “
BOBULINSKI: “FARA —”
Ocasio-Cortez: “Excuse me, sir! Excuse me, sir! RICO is not a crime. It is a category. What is —”
BOBULINSKI: “Oh, no.”
Ocasio-Cortez: “— the crime.”
BOBULINSKI: “It’s the category of crimes that you’re then charged under —”
Ocasio-Cortez: “You have charges —”
BOBULINSKI: “A long hundred list of —”
Ocasio-Cortez: “You have charges? Sir, please name —”
BOBULINSKI: “You want me to name the exact statute under RICO.”
Ocasio-Cortez: “Sir — yes.”
BOBULINSKI: “Well — well it’s funny in this committee room, everyone’s not here, there’s over 18 lawyers —”
Ocasio-Cortez: “All right, sir. I reclaim my time.”
BOBULINSKI: “— that went to law school.”'
Ocasio-Cortez: “I reclaim my time. I reclaim my time.”
BOBULINSKI: “I’ll leave it up to you guys to define the statute under RICO.”
Ocasio-Cortez: “OK. Thank you, sir. I reclaim my time. Clearly What we are seeing here today is a continuation of the 15-month saga of the Republican majority lost in the desert. Impeachment 101. The majority party or whomever is raising impeachment must accuse the president of a high crime, a specific high crime or misdemeanor. I would like to submit to the record H.Res. 918, the House Resolution to open this impeachment inquiry.”
Comer: “Without objection to order.”
Ocasio-Cortez: “This resolution does not outline a high crime or misdemeanor. It’s not here. Now when we compare the chairman’s opening from his previous opening he’s talking about Ukraine and Burisma and all of this. It is — this entire inquiry is based on a blockbuster piece of information that was in a classified SCIF room. And inside that room was a document alleging President Biden directly of a $10 million bribery scheme, a $10 million dollar bribery scheme. Extremely serious. What happened? What happened a month ago, Mr. Chairman? That document, the FBI arrested the person who offered those allegations for falsifying his testimony and to the FBI. This entire impeachment inquiry is based on an — on an actual provable individual who has lied. Now responsible leadership would withdraw an inquiry based on that. Withdraw it. Instead, what we are seeing is that this committee was warned about the falsehoods of these allegations long before that, warned by Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and yet they proceeded anyway. The chairman proceeded anyway. This committee was warned by Rudy Giuliani associate right here, Lev Parnas after that document about the falsehoods of this. Then held hearings, where your own expert witnesses said that there was no grounds for impeachment, and you proceeded anyway. And finally, as if None of this was enough, the FBI arrested the individual who was the source of the entire, to quote the chairman, ‘heart of the matter’ to launch this impeachment inquiry and proceeded anyway. At this point, the story is not the fact that the basis of this impeachment inquiry is wrong, the story is why it’s proceeding anyway? Why is this committee proceeding based on false charges? And if they’re — and by the way, no charges. I have yet to hear in the chairman’s opening the allegation that they are specifically charging the president of the United States with. I’m hearing about Biden family. I’m hearing about this and that. I am not hearing the specific allegation by this committee, what is it? It’s not here. And that is the problem. The story is when this committee knew that they were working with falsified evidence? That’s the story. And with that I yield back.”
Comer: “Gentlelady yields back. Chair now recognizes Ms. Mace from South Carolina for five minutes.”
