AOC-backed progressive group targets Democratic leadership over meddling in Republican primary

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A left-wing group dedicated to electing progressives that is backed by “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is targeting the national Democratic Party’s leadership following recent attempts to meddle in a Republican congressional primary in Michigan.

“Democratic Party leadership will literally support Republicans before they start supporting progressives,” Justice Democrats wrote in a Wednesday morning tweet that included a report detailing spending by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) to boost the Trump-backed challenger to incumbent Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich.

The DCCC told Fox News on Monday that it plans to spend $425,000 on a new ad buy to boost Republican challenger John Gibbs against Meijer, who was one of the 10 House Republicans that voted to impeach former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.

The ad buy appears to be an effort by national Democrats to help Gibbs win the primary in hopes of setting up a more favorable general election showdown for Democratic candidate Hillary Scholten, who is running unopposed in the primary.

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The Justice Democrats’ reaction to the DCCC’s involvement in the race highlights the continued divide between progressives and moderates in the party that have consistently clashed over various policy points and campaign strategy each election cycle.

Moderate Democrats have, however, continued to largely defeat their progressive challengers in primaries across the country this year as the party fights to minimize what many expect to be a victory for Republicans in November.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the DCCC and Justice Democrats for comment but did not receive a response.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.