AOC's political committee donated thousands of dollars to eco-zealot groups
's political action committee donated thousands of dollars to a climate-protest group that has defiled priceless artwork across the globe. A $9,000 donation was made from Courage to Change, the New York Democrat's PAC, to the Los Angeles-based Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), in 2021, according to federal filings reviewed by The CEF organization finances radical climate protest groups that have been known to engage in - like throwing soup or paint on famous pieces of artwork - to grab the attention of political leaders, as they demand an end to all new fossil fuel projects. brought a World Championship snooker match to a standstill by jumping on the table and covering it in orange powder. over the weekend to be three-time Oscar nominee Edward Norton. Norton, 53, who is well known for his support of progressive causes, has given more than $13,000 to the New York Democrat since 2020. CEF, the organization which received the donation from AOC, has directed millions of dollars to radical groups in nine countries across the globe including U.K.-based Just Stop Oil, the U.S.-based Declare Emergency, and others. Just Stop Oil have carried out a number of high-profile stunts, including gluing themselves to expensive pieces of artwork and blocking roads. The group is demanding an end to all new fossil fuel projects, which are one of the largest contributors to global warming and climate change. Last fall, two Just Stop Oil activists were arrested after they threw tomato soup on a famous Vincent van Gogh painting worth millions of dollars at the National Gallery in London before gluing themselves to the wall. The two eco warriors were part of the radical group's ongoing blockades of Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square - bringing the center of London to a halt at the time. 'If I don't take peaceful action to demand change, I don't see a future for myself or people of my generation,' one the activists said. Another eco-fanatic, Edred Whittingham, 25, made news after he caused chaos during the live match in April, and later boasted that the stunt got 'exactly the response we hoped.' The protester, who had previously been arrested six times and has crowdfunded to support his activist lifestyle, was blasted as 'selfish' by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over his behavior at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, at the time, but said that he would continue to protest. 'By disrupting the snooker, we got exactly the response we hoped for: mass publicity, millions of conversations and hundreds of people signing up for action,' he said. 'Until the Government does the right thing and ends all new fossil fuel licenses and consents, direct action will continue to have a role in keeping the issue salient and at the forefront of the national (and international) conversation.' Just Stop Oil is part of a coalition of 'nonviolent civil resistive groups' which are demanding that the UK Government stop licensing new oil, gas and coal projects. In March this year, 25 of its members glued themselves to the road outside Buckingham Palace, resulting in more than two hours of disruption. AOC's PAC is the only federal committee to donate to the CEF since it was founded in 2019, according to the Federal Election Commission database. But there are also many Hollywood celebrities including actors Jeremy Strong and Thomas Middleditch, who have donated funneled money to CEF. And then there's Norton, who directed his donations to AOC's PAC. On January 15 this year, he contributed $5,000. In 2022, he donated $7,700. Nothing was registered for 2021, but in 2020 he gave $2,800. Ocasio-Cortez was elected in November 2018. Norton has been vocal in his support for her, regularly agreeing with her on social media and retweeting her messages to amplify them - in particular related to social housing, tax and energy policy. Norton is the grandson of affordable housing advocate James W. Rouse and currently serves on the board of trustees for his Enterprise Community Partners foundation. When she tweeted, in the early days of the pandemic, that more needed to be done to protect people from being evicted, Norton agreed. 'Eviction, foreclosure, & shut-off suspensions are good but they are nowhere near enough,' she tweeted. He replied: 100% correct @AOC @NYGovCuomo @SenSchumer @NYCMayor. 'We need immediate & real protection from rent & mortgage, residential & commercial. 'Working families & small business can't be expected to keep landlords & huge commercial real estate barons & and the banks behind them afloat.' When, in December 2020, Florida senator Marco Rubio pointed out that Joe Biden's recently-appointed chief of staff insulted Republicans, Ocasio-Cortez scolded him for caring more about that than her being called a 'f****** b****' in front of him, by one of his colleagues, Republican representative Ted Yoho. 'Thank you @AOC,' tweeted Norton. 'The staggering scale of the hypocrisy is exhausting...doubly so in a week we learn that the operational core of our government, including our nuclear / military security complex has been brazenly attacked by Russia at an unprecedented level. GOP silence.' And, weeks before the November 2020 election, Norton tweeted: '100% correct. @AOC also full correct. 'We don't have a 'race issue'. We have a racism issue. Donald Trump is a vile, unrepentant, dangerous racist. We have to rise to this moment in unprecedented numbers and vote this thug out.' Norton has been a big Democrat donor for years. He gave $41,400 to Barack Obama, about whom he produced a documentary, and more than $58,000 to the Democratic National Committee. His spokesman told the paper: 'Edward has always proudly supported progressive Democratic candidates.' In 2015, the actor told The Independent he rejected political labels, and just fought for what he believed was right. 'Socialism for some people carries a pre-Sixties definition that puts certain people's teeth on edge, as do words like 'conservative',' he said. 'I think that labels are limiting and reductive and I wish more people defined themselves as progressive. 'A lot of what we are seeing in the world, politically, is not so much about left-wing and right-wing but more about progressive versus regressive vision.'