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<\/a>Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talks with supporters during her general campaign kick-off rally on September 22, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York. (Photo by Don EMMERT \/ AFP) (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
Molly Prince | Politics Reporter
\nThe Daily Caller<\/p>\n
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s 2018 congressional campaign was fined by the state of New York for failing to provide the proper workers\u2019 compensation coverage to campaign staffers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe employer did not have the required workers\u2019 compensation coverage from March 31, 2018 to April 30, 2018,\u201d\u00a0Melissa Stewart, the spokeswoman for New York\u2019s Workers Compensation Board, told\u00a0The New York Daily News<\/a>. \u201c[It] was issued a final penalty of $1,500, which was paid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis coverage is vital to ensuring workers are protected for on-the-job injuries,\u201d Stewart continued.<\/p>\n The self-proclaimed\u00a0Democratic socialist<\/a>\u00a0has been portraying herself as a\u00a0champion for workers\u2019 rights. During her campaign, she advocated for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and a Federal Jobs Guarantee because according to her\u00a0website<\/a>, \u201canyone who is willing and able to work shouldn\u2019t struggle to find employment.\u201d<\/p>\n Interestingly, the\u00a0progressive congresswoman<\/a>\u00a0bemoaned in August the closing of a restaurant where she was previously employed \u2014 however, the restaurant cited an Ocasio Cortez-endorsed policy as a partial reason for its closure.\u00a0(RELATED: Dan Crenshaw Responds To Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s \u2018Scandalous\u2019 Dancing: \u2018Dance Away\u2019)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe times have changed in our industry. The rents are very high and now the minimum wage is going up and we have a huge number of employees,\u201d one of restaurant\u2019s co-founders\u00a0said at the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Spencer Platt\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOcasio-Cortez\u2019s desired \u2018living wage\u2019 of $15 an hour has been a living hell for many small business owners in New York, who\u2019ve been unable to offset the cost through higher prices,\u201d Employment Policies Institute Managing Director Michael Saltsman said in response to the closure. \u201cIt\u2019s fine to mourn the impending closure of your former employer \u2014 it\u2019s better to understand the misguided minimum-wage mandates that contributed to that closure.\u201d<\/p>\n Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s office did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n