Ex-AOC Staffer Exposed: Abusing PAC Funds for Personal Gain

It appears that now the holiday season is over, the grifting season has returned in full force. Former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, appears to have been caught swindling money for the second time.

Corbin Trent was a top aide for the legislator and has been scrutinized again over how his political action group spent its money.

Corbin Trent formed the No Excuses PAC in 2019 after he left his position as Ocasio Cortez’s communications director and ended her campaign in 2020.

Trent launched No Excuses 2021 to eliminate the Senate filibuster. The campaign targeted Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kirsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). A recent report shows No Excuses spent very little money on its stated endeavors.

Trent instead paid himself almost $140,000 between February 2021 and September 2023 for management and communication consulting, as shown in Federal Election Commission documents.

The publication reported that Trent’s group had spent only $14,831 during this period on radio ads targeting Manchin and Sinema. This means his PAC paid him ten times more for consulting services than they spent on their stated goals.

No Excuses’ mission was more about Trent’s pocket than advancing a political agenda. This isn’t the first time that the former AOC assistant has been in trouble.

Trent claimed in a conversation with The Daily Beast that he earned this income from his recent television appearances, which, he said, advanced the No Excuses mission. The FEC documents reveal that Trent paid himself for “campaign financing consulting” and “communications consultation” month after month, without ever making a TV appearance.

This story serves as a reminder that most political maneuvers are little more than a ruse. Some people are passionate about their cause while others use politics to boost their income.

In this instance, the left is affected. It is perhaps appropriate to be happy that Trent’s actions harm the progressive cause, taking their money without actually pushing their agenda.

It is worth noting, however, that there are also many Trends on the right, who use the movement for their gain, rather than trying to make an impact. They are very good at getting people to donate money to their PACs or organizations while enriching themselves and not doing much political advocacy. No Excuses PAC is just one example of this.

As the political landscape evolves, donors will need to be more vigilant. The current election campaign has been emotionally charged, and people will try to take advantage of it. We should let the left continue to fall for it while remaining vigilant against those who claim to be promoting our cause.