Simplest explanation (to me) is Chakrabarti knows AOC from the bar she works at and they cook up a plan to get rich off campaign donations. Chakrabarti is mastermind and takes his 1/3 cut.
AOC goes in big headline mode as fast as possible to build fan base to inoculate her when SHTF so she can scream retaliation.
So where does former congressman (Crowley?) wussing out fit in? Bar customer they got dirt on?