This came in from Team AOC, and why we will not support Samely's Lopez for Congress - There are to many unanswered questions.
Alexandria has officially endorsed Samelys López as the progressive champion for New York’s 15th District. Today, we want your endorsement too.
Here’s the situation: Samelys is building a people-powered, progressive movement to defeat a series of moderate opponents. Her campaign is focused on a Housing for All Guarantee — because everyone has a basic right to a roof over their head.
New York’s 15th is the poorest district in the United States, despite being in one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Thousands of people live on the streets or in shelters as luxury apartment buildings have excessive vacancies. We need Samelys in the fight for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
Samelys spent part of her childhood on the streets — bouncing from shelter to shelter with her mother, not knowing what the future held.
The reason we trust her to fight with all her spirit for working people is because we know she has lived the struggle and understands that we have the power to change that reality.
Especially in a time of crisis like this, having Samelys in Congress is a critical priority. We need leaders who embody political courage and Samelys has shown that she’s not afraid to speak truth to power.
This is a highly contested primary. Samelys will need your help to win on her progressive platform of Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and a Housing Guarantee for All.
Thanks for having political courage,
Team AOC
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We were assured by candidate Lopez's consultants on the day she announced her candidacy in 2019 that we would interview her. That never happened! We continued to ask for an interview of candidate Lopez, and that never happened! All we got was stonewalled by her boyfriend Michael Beltzer, a failed candidate in 2017 for city council, who was already setting up his 2021 city council campaign.
Candidate Samely's Lopez and Michael Beltzer started the Local Democrats of New York (LDNY) to elect people to low level party positions such as County Committee members. They had these people sign a release form to allow LDNY to raise money in said candidates name to use for their campaigns, or for whatever use LDNY felt was needed. I asked Mr. Beltzer where the filings for LDNY were, to see how the money raised was spent. Mr. Beltzer said "we kept the amount under one thousand dollars so we didn't have to file."
When Congresswoman Alexandria Ocassio-Cortez opened her Bronx campaign office Michael Beltzer was there asking AOC campaign workers to donate to his 2021 City Council campaign.
Upon checking candidate Lopez's FEC filing as of March 31, 2020 we find no expense for rent of any office, and have to believe since Mr. Beltzer is working out of the AOC campaign headquarters that is also candidate Lopez's campaign office, but then again we have not been able to ask one question of candidate Lopez thanks to Mr. Beltzer.
Another question from the March 31, 2020 Lopez FEC filing is that a total of $80,328 has been raised, including $5,000 listed as other committee contributions. What other committee contributions?
Then there is the listing of $34,261 spent with $30,138 on hand. $80,328 minus $5,000, minus $34,261, minus $30,138 leaves $10,929 unaccounted for. Where did the $10,929 go?
When it comes to money we can not trust Samelys Lopez or Michael Beltzer, there are just to many unanswered questions.
We also have to question Congresswoman Ocaio-Cortez's blind support of Samelys Lopez, and the AOC PAC giving candidate Lopez what was reported as $20,000 that is no where to be found on the Lopez for Congress FEC filing.
All parts of the Team AOC letter relating to donations were omitted.
