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FIRST ON FOX: A former prime chief and “lifetime member” of the Democratic Socialists of America has been on the payroll of “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s, D-N.Y., marketing campaign since she first ran for Congress in 2018.
Frank Llewellyn, the previous director of the biggest socialist group in America and a founding member of the socialist group that might later develop into DSA’s sister group, serves because the treasurer for each Ocasio-Cortez’s marketing campaign and her political motion committee, Braveness to Change.
Ocasio-Cortez’s marketing campaign has paid Llewellyn a complete of over $250,000 for payroll, journey and different administrative bills courting again to 2018, based on Federal Election Fee (FEC) filings reviewed by Fox Information Digital. Disbursements vary from $77.50 for cellphone, journey and web stipends and wage funds of $1,281 roughly each two weeks.
In addition to engaged on Ocasio-Cortez’s marketing campaign, Llewellyn additionally sits on the board of the Democratic Socialists of America Fund, a sister group to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), based on the group’s web site.
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“Frank Llewellyn was one of many unique incorporators of the Institute for Democratic Socialism which later turned the Democratic Socialists of America Fund,” the DSA Fund web site says. “A lifelong activist and socialist he served Democratic Socialists of America in New York Metropolis for the reason that group was based. He served on its Nationwide Political Committee and as its Nationwide Director for greater than ten years.”
Llewellyn was nationwide director of DSA for over ten years, from 2001 to 2011. Llewellyn confirmed to Fox Information Digital that he continues to be a “lifetime member” of DSA and that he has been on Ocasio-Cortez’s employees since her first election in 2018.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., (left) employs Frank Llewellyn, a former nationwide director of the Democratic Socialists of America. (AP; Spencer Platt/Getty Photographs)
One of the vital important achievements of DSA throughout Llewellyn’s time as director was the election of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in 2006. Llewellyn wrote an article within the DSA’s journal celebrating Sanders’ election as the primary time in American historical past that “a self-declared socialist has received a seat in the USA Senate.” Within the article, Llewellyn detailed DSA’s deep involvement with Sanders’ marketing campaign, saying fundraising for his profitable marketing campaign “is a serious accomplishment through which we will take nice delight.”
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Llewellyn wrote that “within the coming interval, it’s critical that we use our newly gained grassroots community, and our ties to actually progressive Democrats and Bernie Sanders, to advertise each a progressive agenda and progressive organizing.”
The group additionally later went on to endorse Sanders throughout each his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.
An examination of Llewellyn’s social media exhibits that he continues to be an energetic member of the Queens department of the New York Metropolis DSA. He posts frequently about Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders in addition to New York Metropolis socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who can be an energetic member of DSA. In a 2021 Fb put up, Llewellyn stated he was “very happy to vote for Queens DSA endorsing [Mamdani]” when he efficiently ran for the New York State Meeting
Although Mamdani leads the New York Metropolis mayoral race by double digits, sparking issues concerning the rise of socialism in America, a latest Fox Information nationwide survey revealed capitalism stays extra standard than socialism. Nevertheless, voters indicated they help elevating taxes on the rich.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., greet the gang collectively throughout a “Combating Oligarchy” tour occasion at Arizona State College, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz. (Ross D. Franklin)
Fox Information Digital beforehand reported on DSA’s huge affect on the Mamdani marketing campaign, together with highlighting how DSA members mentioned throughout a July panel how they’ve been intently collaborating with Mamdani and the way he has the group positioned to “seize state energy.”
DSA organizer Daniel Goulden claimed the group has been intimately concerned in Mamdani’s marketing campaign, even serving to to write down parts of his platform.
“With Zohran, we’re in principally the very best place to grab state energy that we may be in as a result of, you realize, we’re like this,” Goulden stated, indicating along with his fingers that the marketing campaign and group are very shut.
Goulden went on to counsel that “one of many issues that made Zohran actually profitable along with his coverage rollouts is particularly counting on DSA.”
AOC and Sanders, who’re each self-proclaimed democratic socialists, have each endorsed and promoted Mamdani’s marketing campaign and might be taking part in a rally with him this upcoming Sunday.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and New York Metropolis Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani maintain fingers through the city corridor “Combating Oligarchy” occasion at Brooklyn Faculty on Sept. 6, 2025. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP through Getty Photographs)
The nationwide DSA group and its chapters, together with the NYC-DSA, have shared views on a number of points that they’ve been vocal about, together with their disdain for ICE and cracking down on “dangerous landlords” by having the town take management of properties when a landlord refuses to make repairs or “demonstrates constant neglect” of their tenants.
Earlier this yr, Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders went on a “Combating Oligarchy” tour towards the “billionaire class and company greed,” which amassed greater than 300,000 attendees throughout 34 rallies in 20 states, based on Sanders.
Ocasio-Cortez confronted criticism for racking up 1000’s at boutique lodges through the tour. Sanders additionally confronted backlash after Fox Information Digital uncovered him and AOC for flying on non-public jets, racking up a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} in disbursements through the tour.
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Fox Information Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s workplace and DSA for remark, however didn’t instantly obtain a response.
Fox Information Digital’s Deirdre Heavey, Andrew Mark Miller and Victoria Balara contributed to this report.
