Democrats point fingers all day long. But they’re guilty of everything they’re accusing others for and more.
And a House Democrat was just caught red-handed taking a donation that they never wanted to come out.
House Democrat Caught In Dangerous Dance with Extremist Donors
The Democratic Party’s flirtation with far-left extremist groups has reached a new low, as evidenced by New York Rep. Josh Riley’s cozy relationship with organizations pushing radical policies that threaten public safety. Riley, a freshman congressman who campaigned as a moderate, has been exposed for accepting a $1,000 donation from Voters of Tomorrow PAC, a youth-driven advocacy group that champions abolishing cash bail and other dangerous criminal justice reforms, according to his Q1 Federal Election Commission (FEC) report. This revelation raises serious questions about the influence of fringe ideologies on Democratic candidates and the party’s willingness to prioritize radical agendas over the safety of their constituents.
Riley’s acceptance of funds from Voters of Tomorrow is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern. His campaigns in 2022 and 2024 also raked in tens of thousands of dollars from the New York Working Families Party (NY-WFP), another left-wing group that vehemently supports eliminating cash bail and resists efforts to strengthen bail requirements. The NY-WFP’s stance is clear: “We refuse to return to a time when the wealthy could buy their way out of jail while poor New Yorkers sat behind bars,” as stated by former NY-WFP state director Sochie Nnaemeka. Such rhetoric masks the real-world consequences of these policies, which have allowed repeat offenders to roam free, endangering communities.
Representing New York’s 19th congressional district, a swing seat that President Donald Trump nearly won in 2024, Riley narrowly defeated Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro in a rematch of their 2022 contest. His victory margin of less than 10,000 votes suggests a district that demands pragmatic leadership, not ideological extremism. Yet, Riley’s financial ties to groups like Voters of Tomorrow and NY-WFP reveal a willingness to embrace policies that clash with the needs of his constituents. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has targeted Riley’s seat as one of 26 districts they aim to flip in the midterms, signaling that his radical affiliations could cost him dearly.
The NRCC has not minced words about Riley’s hypocrisy. “Out of touch Democrat Josh Riley is a con man,” NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “He’s desperately trying to dupe voters, but his record proves that he has been pushing radical soft on crime policies that are a threat to his district since day one. Josh Riley has no business being in Congress and he cannot be trusted to keep his constituents safe.” O’Toole’s scathing critique points to a deeper issue: Democrats like Riley are attempting to mask their radical affiliations behind a moderate facade, hoping voters won’t notice.
New York’s experiment with cash bail elimination, enacted in 2019 under former Governor Andrew Cuomo, has been a disaster. The policy, which removed bail requirements for most misdemeanors and some low-level felonies, has been criticized by Republicans and even some Democrats for failing to address repeat offenders. A February 2024 study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Data Collaborative for Justice found that roughly 65% of individuals released without bail who had a recent prior arrest were rearrested within two years. This statistic exposes the folly of policies championed by groups like Voters of Tomorrow and NY-WFP, which Riley’s campaign has eagerly accepted.
The consequences of these reforms are stark. In October 2021, the New York Post reported on a New York City man arrested 46 times for retail theft in less than a year, only to be released each time under the state’s bail reform laws. Such cases illustrate how extremist policies, backed by groups funding Democrats like Riley, have turned the criminal justice system into a revolving door for recidivists. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told the Wall Street Journal in March that the elimination of cash bail, combined with other so-called reforms, has “rendered the criminal justice system in New York City a high-speed revolving door for recidivists.”
Voters of Tomorrow’s agenda extends beyond cash bail abolition to other radical positions, including the decriminalization of prostitution and the dismantling of institutions they claim perpetuate racism. Their policy page declares, “It is not enough to not be racist; we must be actively anti-racist,” and calls for ending “the abusive practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to prevent them from further terrorizing human beings.” Such rhetoric, steeped in far-left ideology, has no place in mainstream Democratic politics, yet Riley’s acceptance of their donation suggests a troubling alignment.
The group’s stance on cash bail is equally alarming. “If the ‘justice’ system has policies or laws in place that have a monetary value tied to them, then those policies only apply to low-income people,” Voters of Tomorrow states in its Gen Z Agenda 2024 document. “No one should have to remain in prison for the duration of their case just because they do not have the financial means to pay their bail. Cash bail only applies to low-income people and we need equal justice.” While this argument may sound appealing on the surface, it ignores the reality that bail reform has enabled dangerous criminals to evade accountability, putting communities at risk.
Riley’s ties to Voters of Tomorrow are particularly hypocritical given his campaign’s moderate branding. The group endorsed him during his 2024 run against Molinaro and also backed former Vice President Kamala Harris, contributing nearly $30,000 to her failed presidential campaign. Harris herself called for abolishing cash bail in a 2020 campaign memo, a position that aligns with the extremist groups now bankrolling Democrats. Riley’s willingness to accept these endorsements and funds betrays his moderate persona and raises questions about his true priorities.
The NY-WFP’s influence on Riley is equally concerning. In October 2024, the group transferred $5,000 to his campaign, and in 2022, it contributed over $21,000 to his first run against Molinaro. The NY-WFP’s resistance to amending New York’s bail laws is unwavering, with the group dismissing efforts to give judges more discretion as “right-wing talking points to incarcerate more Black and brown people to appease moderate voters.” Such inflammatory language reveals the group’s radical bent and its refusal to engage with legitimate concerns about public safety.
New York’s fusion voting system, which allows candidates to run on multiple party lines, has enabled the NY-WFP to exert outsized influence on Democratic candidates like Riley. By endorsing candidates who also secure the Democratic nomination, the NY-WFP ensures that its radical agenda infiltrates mainstream politics. Riley’s acceptance of their support, both financially and politically, signals his complicity in advancing policies that prioritize ideology over the well-being of his constituents.
The Democratic Party’s embrace of groups like Voters of Tomorrow and NY-WFP is a betrayal of the voters who expect pragmatic governance. Riley’s decision to accept their donations, despite campaigning as a moderate, exposes a willingness to pander to extremists at the expense of public safety. His silence on the matter—his spokesperson failed to respond to multiple requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation—only deepens the perception that he is dodging accountability.
The stakes are high in New York’s 19th district, where voters deserve a representative who prioritizes their safety over ideological purity. Riley’s financial ties to radical groups suggest he is more beholden to their agendas than to the needs of his constituents. As the NRCC ramps up its efforts to unseat him, Riley’s extremist affiliations could prove to be his political undoing.
The influence of far-left groups on Democrats is not limited to Riley. Across the country, candidates are accepting funds from organizations that push policies at odds with the needs of everyday Americans. This trend raises serious concerns about the direction of the Democratic Party and its willingness to cede ground to extremists who prioritize ideology over governance.
The Federalist Wire will keep you informed on any major 2026 midterms updates.
