Americans cannot stand a lying politician. They also can’t stand a politician who has a “rules for thee but not for me” mindset. This was seen over and over again during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, there were many state governors who would implement a set of restrictive social distancing rules and then wouldn’t follow them while requiring their constituents to.
This hypocritical behavior does nothing to produce trust between a politician and their voters. In fact, it does the opposite, yet politicians continue to behave in a hypocritical manner. Sure, no one is perfect and elected officials make mistakes, but there are some who purposefully say one thing in front of a crowd and then do the exact opposite behind close doors.
The sense of entitlement and elitism from our nation’s politicians is becoming an epidemic. It proves that there’s too many politicians who are simply in the political world for power and money and nothing else. But thanks to an uptick in vigilantism, many of these elected officials (both at the federal and state level) are being called out for their hypocrisy. One congresswoman in particular, found this out the hard way.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett’s PAC Funding Contradicts Her Claims, Records Show
Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett, known for her fiery rhetoric, has been caught in a financial contradiction. Despite publicly denying accepting money from Political Action Committees (PACs), documents obtained by the New York Post reveal she pocketed nearly $400,000 from such groups—a stark contrast to her earlier statements.
Back in 2020, the 44-year-old congresswoman, who recently stirred controversy by dubbing Texas Governor Greg Abbott “hot wheels” due to his wheelchair use, took to Twitter to tout her independence from corporate influence. “Zero dollars” from corporate PACs, she claimed, while pointing a finger at her opponent for raking in $192,000. Yet, campaign finance records from her run for State Representative of District 100 in Dallas paint a different story. Between July 5 and December 31, 2020, Crockett accepted donations from 22 PACs, with contributions ranging from $500 to $5,000. Among her donors were heavyweights like AT&T, various teachers’ groups, a Wholesale Beer PAC, and a Texas Trial Lawyers PAC.
Matthew Foster, a government lecturer at American University, weighed in on the issue. “What’s controversial about [PACs] is people fundamentally see it as an issue of buying one’s support,” he told the New York Post. “Democrats are more sensitive to this. They know people look at their contributions and use them against them. Candidates and campaigns may avoid accepting them because of the optics as the average person fundamentally finds this very icky and sleazy and corrupt. It’s a visceral reaction.” Foster added, “Clearly [Crockett] thinks that issue is a big deal and a way to resonate with voters—so if what they put out there was false it’s a great opportunity for the opposition to run on that.”
Since her days as a practicing lawyer, Crockett has transitioned to a $174,000-a-year role in the House of Representatives—and seemingly embraced PAC funding along the way. Public records since 2022 show she’s hauled in over $370,000 in federal PAC contributions from corporations and business associations. These traditional PACs, distinct from the unlimited-spending Super PACs, include donations from pharmaceutical titans like AbbVie and Gilead Sciences, financial powerhouses BlackRock and Goldman Sachs, defense giants Lockheed Martin and RTX, and household names like McDonald’s, Home Depot, CVS, Verizon, and Toyota.
Her financial disclosures also reveal a taste for luxury travel. Just a month after her 2023 election to Congress, Crockett jetted off to Doha, Qatar, on a trip costing roughly $17,500, courtesy of the US Qatar Business Council—a group linked to the pro-Hamas Qatari government. She stayed at the lavish Waldorf Astoria Lusail Doha, a five-star resort, and met with high-ranking Qatari officials. That same year, she enjoyed cultural exchange trips funded by the Indian and Emirati governments, according to her filings.
Foster noted the ethical tightrope such perks represent. “At a minimum it looks horrible … Even if it’s just travel expenses covered and a place to stay overnight. It’s one of those borderline issues where you can form an argument for either side as to whether or not the member travelled as part of their role, and even if there’s a violation they’re not always reported to FEC—and that’s why these things easily get dicy,” he said.
“Anything in-kind—even if it’s a spare house and the foreign government member let them stay overnight or covers their expenses, flights, dinners, these are considered in kind contributions and treated as if given money.” While not always illegal, Foster explained, “It’s a violation in the spirit of it,” and a common pitfall for politicians.
Crockett’s Qatar trip predated the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which k*lled 1,200 and left 250 as hostages—some still captive. Interestingly, her disclosures also list a trip to Israel that year, adding another layer to her international engagements.
As Crockett’s record comes under scrutiny, the gap between her public stance and private actions offers plenty of ammunition for critics—and a reminder of the tangled dance between politics and money.
Do you think hypocrisy is a major issue among politicians? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
