FACT CHECK: Did AOC’s Family ‘Overlook’ Cashing Her Dead Grandmother’s Social Security Checks For More Than A Decade?
A post shared on Facebook claims New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her family have purportedly “overlooked” cashing her dead grandmother’s Social Security checks for more than a decade.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and originally stems from a recent article published on “The Dunning-Kruger Times,” which is a satire site.
Fact Check:
Ocasio-Cortez recently joined Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour in Las Vegas, according to NBC News. During the event, Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders made an appeal to working-class voters, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post claims Ocasio-Cortez and her family have purportedly “overlooked” cashing her dead grandmother’s Social Security checks for more than a decade.
“AOC has no excuse for why her family has been cashing her dead Grandmother’s Social Security checks for a decade and a half: ‘We must have just overlooked it.’ They overlooked a $3,400 deposit from the SSA every month for 14 and a half years? Sounds likely,” the post, which features a photo of Ocasio-Cortez, reads.
The claim is false and originally stems from a recent article published on “The Dunning-Kruger Times.” According to its “About” page, the site is “a subsidiary of the ‘America’s Last Line of Defense’ network of parody, satire, and tomfoolery.”
Likewise, Ocasio-Cortez does not appear to have issued a press release or a social media statement responding to the claim. The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not appear to have publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Did Danish Politicians Laugh When Trump Said He Wants To Buy Greenland?)
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. If Ocasio-Cortez, a politician, had truly overlooked cashing her dead grandmother’s Social Security checks for more than a decade, multiple media outlets would’ve covered it, yet none have.
Actually, the opposite is true. Both Snopes and Lead Stories debunked the claim, tracing its origin to the same satirical article.
Check Your Fact has contacted Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment.
