Rising star Democrat allegedly in an age-gap relationship with controversial influencer she’s investigating over so-called ‘dark money operation’

A rising star in the Democratic Party has allegedly sparked up a romance with a controversial political influencer tied to an organization currently being investigated by the House Oversight Committee she was recently appointed to. 

Arizona Representative Yassamin Ansari, 34, has been romantically linked to the much younger Jack Cocchiarella, 24, a progressive political commentator who faced sexual assault allegations during his time as a Dartmouth student. He later sued over the allegations and denied wrongdoing. 

Cocchiarella has interviewed multiple high-profile politicians, including Governor Gavin Newsom, and Senator Bernie Sanders, and hosted Ansari on his show just a few months ago.  Their relationship reportedly turned romantic shortly after that appearance. 

The pair has not publicly confirmed the status of their connection, but the organization Cocchiarella co-founded told the Daily Mail that he stepped down to avoid distractions following reports of ‘his relationship with a member of Congress.’ 

Yassamin, meanwhile, said in a statement when the news broke that she would not comment on her personal life and that it was no one’s business, despite sitting on the committee investigating a ‘dark money operation’ tied to Cocchiarella that allegedly pays influencers up to $8,000 a month to parrot Democrat talking points. 

‘Right now, ICE is terrorizing communities across the country with zero accountability, and Trump’s reckless war in Iran continues raging on,’ she continued.

‘I’m focused on helping to flip the House so we can pass meaningful legislation – that’s what we should all be focused on.’

Ansari serves on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She said in January that she was ‘beyond humbled’ to join the committee, adding that it would allow her to ‘fight for transparency and accountability.’

Ansari was sworn in to the US House of Representatives in 2025 and became the youngest woman currently serving, and the first Iranian American Democrat, in Congress. 

She studied at Stanford University and the University of Cambridge before launching her political career in her home state, becoming Phoenix Vice Mayor and serving on the Phoenix City Council before winning her seat in Congress.

Cocchiarella, meanwhile, is a prominent progressive online YouTuber who co-founded the Chorus influencer program Congress is investigating.

YouTube and podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen is currently listed on Chorus’ website as its official founder and leader. Cocchiarella was also previously listed as a member of the organization’s Creator Council program.

Creators and social media influencers can apply for the program to receive training sessions and monthly stipends for six months. 

Cohen said in a video explaining Chorus that creators range from leftists, progressives, moderates, or nonpartisan commentators.

Kentucky Republican Representative James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that Ansari sits on, announced in May that he had subpoenaed documents related to Chorus.   

A representative for the organization told the Daily Mail that Cocchiarella stepped away from the council after TMZ broke the news of the relationship. The outlet reported that the pair met in 2025 after Ansari appeared on his show and became friends.

‘The relationship presented no conflict of interest or other concerns, but Jack did not want the story to become fodder for further baseless attacks or distract from Chorus’s work.’

The statement continued that the inquiry launched by the Oversight Committee ‘is part of a broader effort to intimidate independent news creators and chill speech. 

‘Chorus is proud to work with the creators who inform the American public about the issues that shape their lives, and the organization will continue that work without hesitation.’ 

An archived version of Chorus’s website also lists Cocchiarella as a member of the Creative Council; however, it appears he has since been removed. 

Last summer, Cohen shared a video on X about Chorus. Cocchiarella shared it and praised the effort, writing: ‘Brian is the best guy I know in this space and I back him with everything I’ve got. 

‘No one has worked harder or done more to build out independent progressive media and he never gets a thank you for it because he doesn’t ask or need it. BTC is a fighter we should all be behind,’ Cocchiarella said.  

The House Oversight Committee accused Chorus of being a ‘dark money operation involved in efforts to undermine media ethics standards and circumvent federal campaign finance disclosure laws,’ according to a press release.

The investigation began last November after Wired reported that Chorus approached a slew of popular influencers to bolster Democratic messaging for $8,000 a month. 

Creators told Wired that Chorus prohibited them from publicly acknowledging they were part of the program or criticizing others who were. 

The report also noted a Zoom call where a lawyer for the nonprofit, Graham Wilson, told creators: ‘There are some real great advantages to … housing this program in a nonprofit.’

‘It gives us the ability to raise money from donors. It also, with this structure, it avoids a lot of the public disclosure or public disclaimers—you know, “Paid for by blah blah blah blah’—that you see on political ads. We don’t need to deal with any of that. Your names aren’t showing up on, like, reports filed with the FEC.”‘

Wilson later clarified that creators can work with whoever they want outside the Chorus program. 

Following the reporting, Comer sent a letter on behalf of the Oversight Committee to President of the Sixteen Thirty Fund Amy Kurtz. 

The letter requested all contracts, documents and communications regarding operations at Chorus. In May, the committee sent Kurtz another letter with a subpoena. 

Comer alleged that the Sixteen Thirty Fund had initially provided ‘improperly redacted document productions’ before the subpoena. The House investigation is ongoing. No official hearings have been held on the matter. 

Cocchiarella was previously embroiled in controversy when his peers accused him of sexual assault while he was a student at Dartmouth. The allegations did not escalate to a criminal case, and Cocchiarella has denied any wrongdoing.

The Columbia Spectator reported on the allegations after he transferred to Columbia University in the fall of 2022. 

An alleged victim told the New Hampshire Journal at the time that he inappropriately touched her and said ‘a lot of really misogynistic things,’ which made her scared. 

Cocchiarella then filed a lawsuit against a Dartmouth student, accusing him of launching a politically motivated ‘smear campaign,’ according to a civil complaint filed in the New Hampshire District Court.

The parties resolved the case in mediation and settled it at the end of 2022. Cocchiarella has never been the subject of an official investigation and has repeatedly denied all allegations. 

The political influencer first rose to fame when he was filmed questioning former Representative Madison Cawthorn at a campus event.

Cocchiarella has since appeared multiple times as a cable news commentator and has over one million YouTube subscribers. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Ansari, her office, Cocchiarella and the Sixteen Thirty Fund for comment.