Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has landed in hot water yet again, this time for playing fast and loose with congressional transparency rules.
The New York Post reported that Ocasio-Cortez filed her mandatory 2024 financial disclosure documents over three months late, only submitting them on Wednesday after blowing past even an extended deadline, while conspicuously omitting her fiancé’s financial details despite leveraging his status for perks.
Let’s rewind to May, when the initial deadline for financial disclosures came and went without a peep from the progressive darling.
She requested a 90-day extension, a reasonable move if followed through on. But that deadline also passed, leaving constituents and watchdogs alike wondering what she’s hiding.
Deadlines Missed and Questions Raised
The eventual filing revealed modest personal finances: bank accounts holding between $17,000 and $81,000, with a savings stash of $15,000 to $50,000 and a checking balance of $1,000 to $15,000.
She also reported a 401(k) from her past role at the National Hispanic Institute worth $1,000 to $15,000, alongside student loan debt of $15,000 to $50,000. Hardly the portfolio of a Wall Street tycoon, but as a congressional member earning $174,000 annually, one might expect tighter bookkeeping.
Comparing this to her 2023 disclosure, which showed $3,000 to $46,000 in the bank, her wealth appears to have jumped by $14,000 to $65,000 in a year. Not a bad bump, but it’s the omissions that raise eyebrows. Why the delay in reporting something so straightforward?
Then there’s the curious case of fiancé Riley Roberts, a web developer who met Ocasio-Cortez at Boston University and worked on her 2018 campaign.
His finances are nowhere to be found in her disclosure—no assets, liabilities, or stock holdings reported. Engaged since 2022 in Puerto Rico, Roberts seems to exist in a financial black hole when it comes to public accountability.
Yet, Ocasio-Cortez isn’t shy about labeling Roberts as her “spouse” when it suits her. On ethics forms, she’s listed him as such to snag perks like travel to Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Italy this year. Back in 2021, she even secured a free $250 Met Gala ticket for him—while she strutted in a $3,724 “Tax the Rich” dress—using the same designation.
The House Ethics Committee isn’t amused by this selective labeling. A July report pointedly noted, “At the same time Representative Ocasio-Cortez was seeking to take advantage of exceptions to the Gift Rule only applicable to spouses… she was not disclosing Mr. Roberts’ financial interests as is required of Members who are legally married.” That’s a polite way of saying: you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette from the Project On Government Oversight put it bluntly: “There is a reason Congress requires financial disclosures to include the spouses.” He’s right—without such rules, it’s a slippery slope to hiding conflicts of interest by funneling assets through a partner. Transparency isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a safeguard.
Ethics Concerns and Public Trust
Hedtler-Gaudette didn’t stop there, adding, “If spousal disclosures were not required, it would be all too easy to exploit that loophole.”
It’s a fair jab at a system that relies on honesty. If Roberts is enjoying the perks of being tied to a member of Congress, shouldn’t his finances face the same scrutiny?
He drove the point home: “If her fiancée is going to avail himself of some of the perks… he should surely have to likewise comply with the less convenient parts.” Hard to argue with that logic. Playing the “spouse” card for gala tickets but dodging the paperwork smells like a double standard.
Some constituents have gone as far as calling Ocasio-Cortez an “absentee” representative, frustrated by what they see as a lack of focus on their needs. While her personal life isn’t the public’s business, her financial reporting—or lack thereof—certainly is. When you’re in Congress, the rules aren’t optional.
Attempts to get a comment from Ocasio-Cortez on her engagement or wedding plans went unanswered, which only fuels the perception of dodging accountability.
It’s not about prying into her romance; it’s about ensuring the public trust isn’t eroded by selective transparency. Voters deserve to know if there’s even a hint of financial funny business.
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Author: Sophia Turner
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