A former youth organizer for New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Iman Abdul, 27, was arrested after allegedly encouraging her 25,000 followers to “attack” a New York City high school because it has Jewish students. Abdul posted a now-deleted message targeting Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences, calling it a place attended by “Israhell loving Zionisits” and referencing Birthright trips to Israel. The NYPD charged Abdul with making a terroristic threat, aggravated harassment, and threatening mass harm.

Abdul previously worked on the 2018 Democratic primary campaigns for Ocasio-Cortez and New York State Sen. Julia Salazar, serving as a canvasser.

Separately, Ocasio-Cortez faced scrutiny after a House Ethics Committee investigation found she violated rules by accepting over $3,700 in gifts for her 2021 Met Gala appearance, including the “Tax The Rich” dress, while paying under $1,000 for them. The committee noted delays in payment to vendors and that some invoices were disputed or left unpaid for months.

Though no formal sanctions were imposed, the panel blamed Ocasio-Cortez’s former staffers, including ex-campaign manager Rebecca Rodriguez, for negotiating costs and unpaid bills. The Ethics Committee required Ocasio-Cortez to pay an additional $2,733 to the designer and donate $250 to cover her boyfriend’s dinner at the event.

Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff said the congresswoman accepted the ruling and would comply with the required payments. Under House rules, members cannot accept gifts unless exceptions apply, such as tickets to charity events.