Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Photo: Wiki Commons)
Nov. 5, 2019 By Allie Griffin
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez apologized Monday to a former Brooklyn Assemblyman, who had filed a First Amendment lawsuit against her for blocking him on Twitter.
The Congresswoman said she reconsidered her decision to block Dov Hikind from her Twitter account.
Her apology and subsequent unblocking were part of a settlement deal. She was due in court Tuesday to testify in the case, but did not need to appear following the settlement.
“Mr. Hikind has a First Amendment right to express his views and should not be blocked for them. In retrospect, it was wrong and improper and does not reflect the values that I cherish,” AOC said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize for blocking Mr. Hikind.”
Hikind filed the lawsuit in July shortly after Ocasio-Cortez blocked him from her personal Twitter account, @AOC, which has 5.7 million followers. She uses the account to promote her policy agenda and communicate with constituents on issues.
Hikind said he was blocked after he criticized her remarks comparing the Trump administration’s immigrant detention centers to concentration camps.
Hikind, who was in politics for nearly four decades and founded a nonprofit group that fights anti-Semitism, has been a constant critic of Ocasio-Cortez.
In the lawsuit, Hikind argued that his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech were violated when AOC blocked him.
“I was blocked suddenly. I could not be part of the conversation, I could not share my thoughts,” Hikind said at a press conference Monday. “My mouth was closed shut. I could not respond.”
Hikind touted his win calling AOC’s apology “a great great victory.”
“It’s rather remarkable that she sincerely apologizes for blocking me,” Hikind said. “This is a great moment, I hope more good can come out of this.”
However, Ocasio-Cortez said she still reserves the right to block users on Twitter.
“Now and in the future, however, I reserve the right to block users who engage in actual harassment or exploit my personal/campaign account, @AOC, for commercial or other improper purposes,” she said in the statement.
Ocasio-Cortez’ decision comes months after a three-judge panel barred President Trump from blocking critics on his personal twitter account—since he uses it for political purposes.
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35 Comments
she did it because she was going to be ordered to do it by a judge in a court…she is not setting a good example…and by the way your sister was right 🙂
Great point–Trump was sued for it and lost. So it’s smart she took care of it when she did.
The love affair with this puppet is as nauseating as the lunatics who idolize Trump. She doesn’t care about the constituents. She wants to look good-5.7 million Twitter followers to discuss policies. Nothing has changed in her districts since she was elected. Wait her and the lunatics who follow her managed to drive away Amazon. Citing income discrimination and racism. If you support her solely for that then by all means please do so. Hikind is yet another lunatic who declares anti semitism the moment you speak ill of Israel. They are all sickening
Is this related to the article about Twitter at all or…?
Yes I mentioned her Twitter cult. Is English your 4th language?
How dare AOC make the comparison of a TRUMP detention camp to concentration camps. That is such an insult in more ways that I can tell you to all Jewish people who are survivors of and lost members in concentration camps.
Is Trump having anyone stripped naked just to humiliate them, then having them shot and thrown in trenches? And then when the trenches are too full and blood begins to spill over he decides to build a crematorium to get rid of bodies?
Is Trump having women with their children taken to “showers“ and then gassed to death.
Is Trump having doctors experimenting on twins to see what they can find genetically to improve the Aryan race?
In no way am I defending Trump and his political agenda, but what I will say is Trump is no Hitler but clearly AOC has more in common with Hitler than one would expect as she is very clearly a racist and an anti-Semite, apart from being a Young, wet behind the ears, Woman who clearly demonstrates that having a “formal education” means nothing when it comes to being an anti-Semite.
I will never vote for this woman. I wouldn’t vote for her if she was running for matron in a bathroom.
Trump concentrated children in camps. WAY different than concentration camps.
I don’t understand how blocking someone on twitter restricts *their* speech. AOC and Trump have public twitter accounts, if you’re blocked and want to see what they tweet, all you have to do is log out. How is a “block” thats not even effective, against the law? ridiculous
There’s a provision that if you use your account for political purposes, you cannot block people for disagreeing with you. Once a person is blocked on twitter, they cannot participate in the politician’s conversation (you cannot respond in the comments section, only read it) and, therefore, the conversation becomes one-sided. You are still allowed to block individuals for harassment and you are still allowed to block individuals for any reasons as long as you have an account that you don’t use for political purposes. I hope this helps you understand.
I absolutely believe Cortez should be able to block whomever she wishes.
Astoria and East Elmhurt stand with AOC!
Sorry Becky but you don’t speak for all of Astoria and Elmhurst.
AOCshouldn’t be responsible for more than a drink at a bar.
You sound a little, a lot jealous girl!
Speak for yourself and no one else. That’s like saying everyone in Astoria and Elmhurst is an anti-Semite. That might be you but it’s not all of us!
>or more than a drink at a bar
Trump lovers make fun of her for this. Disgusting.
Speak your yourself. AOC is not getting re-elected. No way ,no how.
“Ok boomer”
“OK Boomer” is one sure way to turn people away. Ageism will not win more votes for AOC or any other candidate.
Actually you’re wrong there as the aging boomers, expire and gen z becomes eligible to vote , your generations views politically will matter less and less. I believe early this year was the first time that millennial and gen z voters will outnumber boomers , so…. good try boomer
Get a grip Becky. This little millenial is going to be dragged put by her long luxurious hair. I know quite a few folks in Astoria Houses who were coubting on those amazon jobs she scared away. You try commuting two hours a day to a minimum wage job. Those jobs would have been a game changing convenience for the poorest of our poor..and they are not fools. They know this…too bad you don’t. So glad i voted for the incumbent. Cant wait to see her go along w d-bag diblasio! And i am a democrat!!!!!
I love it how people blame her for Amazon, when many union workers (everyday blue collar people) were protesting about this move because …. drumroll Amazon was going to build this large infrastructure without unions! Everyday nyers did not want that! And the cherry on top amazon was going to pay little to no taxes and they would get reimbursed ! And people blame aoc?!!! Everyday nyers union workers didn’t want this ! And when amazon was confronted they just disappeared! Because they knew they were wrong. Stop hating aoc for the wacky stuff you see online that has nothing to do with her politics, tell
Me how many of you have actually read all 3 parts of the green new deal ? I’m guessing slim pickings, and I legit mean read the whole thing not just what you herd on tv that the owners of those stations are heavily vested in fossil fuels. So please shhhhhhhhh don’t wish violence, sit back read before you spew nonsense
Good for AOC. Now can someone do a news story about helping all the homeless and beggars on Ditmars Blvd. I was off from work today and I witnessed four individuals (men and woman) holding signs asking for money or food on one block alone. Then, i see about 4 homeless looking people walking around looking helpless and distraught. Its just sad. Think about it, they are building luxury apartments on one block and then you nearly trip over the homeless and beggars sitting on the floor on the following block. With so many food trucks, restaurants and eateries in the Ditmars area people should not be begging for food when so much food is wasted. Programs should be introduced in local restaurants where either restaurants can donate a number of meals for them or where diners and patrons can to help pay for some of their meals.
They beg and bum all day, drink and get high all night. Don’t feed and support people that refuse to work. The sign crowd are society drop outs living well on misguided generous souls donations. Offer them a broom and an offer to sweep up for a couple of bucks and they’ll curse you out.
Like the young guy w the cane who sits out in front of starbucks on Ditmars and smokes cigarettes and drinks expensive starbucks coffee while begging for change? He actually lives with his mother. Some of these grifters have homes. AOC needs to get the amazon jobs back that she scared away, especially for all the people in Astoria Houses who wanted them. This chick is toast in 2020 #goodriddance
As a proud supporter of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez living in her district of Astoria after reading this article I decided to unblock my sister on twitter. My sister is a Moderate Democrat and I am a Democratic Socialist and we disagree often. I did not appreciate my sisters comment a couple of months ago after i pledged my support for Tiffany Caban on twitter and that is why i blocked her. Today I apologized to my sister through text and unblocked her. Thank you Alexandria for helping all of us be better and stronger people and setting a good example for all woman and children.
Jessica, good move. Remember that you can pick your friends, but not your family. Politicians are even more fickle than friends and they will come and go.
The apology AOC issued was because she was going to be steam rolled in court for a 1st amendment violation and receive the same treatment President Trump received when he blocked twitter accounts., a decision, I might add, she applauded as she heaped scorn on the President for doing exactly what she did. She also did not want to look foolish in court.
Trump never apologized, he just lost a lawsuit. He blocked EVERYONE that criticized him, he’s pretty fragile.
AOC blocked one person, apologized, and didn’t lose a lawsuit. Trump lovers don’t really do nuance though.
She blocked just one person? Bwhahahaha! Put down the crack pipe, you’ve had enough. She’s likely blocked many, many people. They just happened not to be a former assemblyperson who had the means to publicize it and fight back.
Trump blocked EVERYONE that criticized him.
To your point: we can speculate that AOC has blocked people. We don’t have any evidence of that but why not?
If AOC doesn’t like the tweets she gets, she should just acid wash the hard drive like I did.
OMG Trump lovers are still trotting out the “but her emails!” line?!
She lost, get over it.
I love her work ethic. You go go girl.
beta!!!!