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Rep. Katie Porter faces FEC complaint claiming she still benefits from university’s ‘subsidized affordable housing’

January 21, 2023 | | Print Article

California Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat who already boasts a reputation because of her reported history of bad behavior, is now facing a Federal Elections Commission complaint over some more bad behavior.

The Committee to Defeat the President, a political action committee focused on taking down President Joe Biden, filed an FEC complaint against Porter on Friday.

View the complaint below:

In the complaint, the committee alleges that she’s continuing “to reap the benefits” of the University of California at Irvine’s “subsidized affordable housing” program despite not being a full-time staff member.

“Prior to becoming a Congresswoman, Porter was a law professor at the University of California Irvine. As a UC Irvine law professor, she took advantage of a housing benefit for university employees and purchased a home in University Hills, an academic community on the UC Irvine campus developed to provide affordable housing to ‘eligible full-time employees,'” the complaint reads.

The committee notes in the complaint that “the median home values in University Hills are significantly below the median home price in Irvine [as per the subsidy] and there is a waiting list for this significant housing benefit.”

“In fact, while Porter was being recruited by UC Irvine in 2009, she joined the University Hills waiting list and delayed joining the faculty until housing became available in 2011. Eligibility for University Hills residency is dependent on UC Irvine employment,” the complaint continues.

All of this is fine so far. The problem starts in 2019 when Porter assumed office and went on an extended unpaid leave from UC Irvine. The issue is that she evidently continues to live at University Hills.

“Thus, although Porter has not been an active ‘full-time’ employee at UC Irvine since 2019, she continues to reap the benefits of subsidized affordable housing in a pricey housing market,” the complaint notes.

Not cool …

“Embroiled in scandals, Rep. Porter needs to be held accountable to American voters, and the Committee will stop at nothing to demand accountability. It’s time to drain the Washington swamp for good, and that starts with calling out left-wing hypocrites like Porter,” committee chair Ted Harvey told Fox News.

“Once again, woke progressives like Rep. Porter are happy to receive government-funded salaries, benefits, and now subsidized housing for themselves, while driving our economy into the gutter and doing everything possible to squelch opposition. Porter should pay her fair share like everyone else,” committee counsel Dan Backer added.

Will she be held accountable, though? Well, it’s not like she’s ever been held accountable before.

Indeed, as previously reported, over the years she’s repeatedly gotten away with treating her own staffers like pure dirt.

U.S. Navy veteran Sasha Georgiades, a former Wounded Warrior Fellow with Porter’s office, would know.

Speaking with Fox News late last month, she said that while she worked for Porter, the Democrat had a habit of making rude, racist, and disrespectful remarks to staffers.

For instance, she sometimes allegedly used racial slurs. Other times, she “ridiculed people for reporting sexual harassment” and “made fun of individuals whose parents passed away from COVID.”

Indeed, when someone reported sexual harassment to Porter, she “basically told the individual to grow up,” Georgiades told Fox News.

She isn’t the only one who’s spoken out about Porter, though she’s the only one who’s done so openly — i.e., not anonymously.

That said, several alleged Porter staffers have been sending direct messages to a Twitter account called “Dear White Staffers” purporting to describe other examples of Porter’s lousy behavior.

“Widely known across the party/consultants that Katie Porter is abusive. Unable to cope with basic demands of being a member so she takes it out staff. Says rude/racist things (anti-black esp) and tries to mask it as edgy humor. Thinks she knows better and talks shit about other members, leadership, staffers, local electeds, etc at full volume, in public and to literally any1 who will listen,” one direct message reads.

“Completely disinterested in repping OC [Orange County] and just waiting to go statewide or national. From what ive seen only ppl that survive are super fans that participate in or overlook the abuse. Has gone thru staff rosters several times over. Give it time and will rank among the legendary toxic offices,” it continues.

All this comes as Porter is poised to pursue a Senate seat in the 2024 race. But not just any Senate seat. She’s reportedly aiming for Democrat colleague/ally Dianne Feinstein’s seat — despite Feinstein not having indicated that she’s resigning.

News of her interest in unseating Feinstein sent shockwaves through the political world — so much so that even the far-left ladies of “The View” complained about it.

Watch:

Dovetailing back to the FEC complaint filed against Porter, a UCI spokesperson has preemptively rejected it.

“Faculty members on approved leaves without pay remain UCI employees, and as such they can maintain their homes in University Hills. Those who take these leaves without pay generally do so to perform outside work in academia or industry … or in public service, as is the case with Porter,” the spokesperson said to Fox News.

The spokesperson also rejected the idea that the homes in University Hills are being subsidized.

“Home prices there are below market value because of the university maintains ownership of the land and leases it to the homeowners – because of this ground lease, homeowners own their houses but not the land beneath it. As a result, home prices remain below-market,” they said.

Vivek Saxena
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