Phoenix-area Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) is reportedly in a relationship with left-leaning YouTube commentator Jack Cocchiarella, whose organization is currently under investigation by the House Oversight Committee, on which Ansari serves.
The report, published Thursday by Sources Say News and authored by Juliegrace Brufke, cited multiple sources describing the relationship between Ansari, 34, and Cocchiarella, 24, as ongoing rather than a single encounter. Cocchiarella sits on the creator council of Chorus, a group that pays left-leaning social media creators and has been the subject of a House Oversight Committee inquiry.
According to the report, Ansari attended Cocchiarella’s 24th birthday party at his residence the preceding Friday, where attendees described the pair as flirtatious and said Ansari helped with setup beforehand. The outlet also cited screenshots of text messages from attendees of an MS NOW party during White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend describing the two as affectionate, along with a source who said Cocchiarella confirmed he was involved with “a Democratic congresswoman.”
The two reportedly also attended a MoveOn “Won’t Back Down” event together in Phoenix in August, and Cocchiarella hosted Ansari on his YouTube program as recently as July.
The Chorus Investigation
Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) opened an investigation into Chorus in November 2025 to examine whether the program was used to get around campaign-finance disclosure rules. The committee subpoenaed the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the left-leaning nonprofit that originally ran the program, for records in May.
Cocchiarella is listed on Chorus’s creator council. Sources Say reported that he had described himself to sources as a co-founder, though the organization’s website lists him only on its creator council, not its leadership page. Brian Tyler Cohen, the YouTuber who runs Chorus, has publicly identified himself as a co-founder.
Ansari has served on the Oversight Committee since January 2025. Sources Say reported there is “no public record of her questioning a witness about Chorus or casting a vote on the inquiry, or any involvement at all.” Comer has pursued the investigation through chairman letters and a subpoena rather than a formal hearing or markup. The outlet also noted that nothing in House rules bars the relationship, since Cocchiarella is not a congressional employee.
Past Allegations
Sources Say also recounted earlier reporting on sexual misconduct accusations against Cocchiarella from his time at Dartmouth College. NH Journal reported in 2022 that Dartmouth disciplined him over at least one accusation of abusive behavior and that he was removed from the Dartmouth College Democrats. The Columbia Spectator separately reported multiple sexual assault accusations against him at Dartmouth. Cocchiarella later sued a former classmate who had accused him online of rape; that lawsuit was settled.
Cocchiarella has denied wrongdoing. His lawyer told NH Journal he was never accused of sexual assault and was never the subject of a criminal or Title IX investigation, and Cocchiarella has said Dartmouth’s Title IX office never investigated him. A profile cited by Sources Say said Dartmouth later confirmed by email that he was never investigated and left in good academic standing. He transferred to Columbia, graduated in 2025, and now runs The Jack Cocchiarella Show on YouTube, which Sources Say reported has more than 1.5 million subscribers.
TMZ Account and Ansari’s Response
TMZ reported separately that the two “have been seeing each other for the past few months, and things are going strong,” citing sources with direct knowledge. That outlet said the pair first met when Cocchiarella interviewed Ansari in spring 2025, began spending time together as friends months later, and eventually became romantically involved.
Asked by TMZ about the relationship, Ansari said: “I’m not commenting on my personal life, nor is it anyone’s business. Right now, ICE is terrorizing communities across the country with zero accountability, and Trump’s reckless war in Iran continues raging on. I’m focused on helping to flip the House so we can pass meaningful legislation — that’s what we should all be focused on.” Cocchiarella told TMZ he does not like to comment on his personal life.
Ansari, who represents a Phoenix-area district, has drawn national attention for a series of public statements since taking office, including calling then-Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche someone who “belongs in jail” in July, calling on September 6 for Democrats to investigate the financial dealings of Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Barron Trump if Democrats win the House, and announcing plans in April to pursue impeachment proceedings against Pete Hegseth over accusations of war crimes. On April 9 she called President Trump “mentally unstable and unfit for office” and said he posed “a clear and present danger to this country.”
She has also proposed a “HER Agenda” policy that would provide up to 12 days of paid leave a year for reproductive health needs, including period pain, menopause symptoms, IVF and miscarriages, which she unveiled alongside Reps. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
