Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is under fire from the House Ethics Committee for treating her fiancé as both a spouse and a non-spouse—depending on what benefits the situation. The contradiction allowed her to accept gifts and perks without the legal obligations that normally come with them.
Key Facts:
- The House Ethics Committee rebuked Rep. Ocasio-Cortez for misusing the term “spouse” regarding her partner Riley Roberts.
- AOC accepted a $35,000 Met Gala ticket for Roberts in 2021, a gift only allowed for legal spouses.
- Roberts has worn a congressional spouse pin and received travel benefits, yet hasn’t disclosed financial info as legally required of spouses.
- Ocasio-Cortez has not legally married Roberts, though they’ve lived together since 2016 and got engaged in 2022.
- The committee ordered her to repay $3,000 and donate $250 to charity for improper gifts accepted on Roberts’s behalf.
The Rest of The Story:
The controversy began when Rep. Ocasio-Cortez brought her then-boyfriend Riley Roberts to the 2021 Met Gala.
The ticket, valued at $35,000, was permitted only for legal spouses under House ethics rules.
Yet, according to a letter from her attorney David Mitrani, AOC considered Roberts her “spouse” under campaign finance law.
The Ethics Committee disagreed with that flexible interpretation. In its July report, the committee highlighted how AOC used the “spouse” label to accept gifts for Roberts but avoided financial disclosure rules by insisting they weren’t legally married.
Mitrani explained that Roberts received special privileges, including a congressional spouse pin and taxpayer-funded travel. But when it came to disclosing income or assets—as required for actual spouses—Ocasio-Cortez claimed those rules didn’t apply because the couple hadn’t brought “law or religion” into their relationship.
Watchdog groups raised concerns that this dual standard might be a way to sidestep ethics rules. “It is fair to question her inconsistent treatment of Roberts as her spouse,” said Kendra Arnold of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust.
Ultimately, the committee ordered Ocasio-Cortez to pay back $3,000 in improper gifts and donate $250 to cover the cost of Roberts’s Met Gala meal, calling her acceptance of the ticket impermissible—even if done under legal advice.
BREAKING: The Office of Congressional Ethics found that there is "substantial reason to believe" that AOC "accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021"
The vote was unanimous. pic.twitter.com/nG6LI7fZli
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) March 2, 2023
Commentary:
This isn’t just a paperwork issue—it’s a question of trust and fairness. Ocasio-Cortez built her brand on accountability and claimed that “no one is above the law.”
Yet she seems to expect different rules for herself. She can’t have it both ways.
If Roberts is her spouse, then she must comply with the same transparency laws every married member of Congress does.
That includes disclosing income, assets, and business ties that might create conflicts of interest.
Instead, AOC cherry-picked the legal definition of “spouse” to fit her agenda.
She invoked the term to grab perks—like VIP access, travel, and high-profile events—while evading the responsibilities attached to it.
This is the very kind of behavior she claims to oppose. Her “Tax the Rich” dress at the Met Gala was a political stunt that now appears more like hypocrisy.
It’s one thing to criticize privilege; it’s another to exploit it behind closed doors. The ethics system relies on good faith. AOC’s maneuvering erodes that foundation.
The public deserves to know if congressional partners are financially benefiting from their relationships without oversight.
Imagine if a Republican congressman had done the same—claimed a girlfriend was a spouse when it came to Met Gala invites but not when disclosing stock trades. The outcry would be deafening.
There can’t be one standard for Democrats and another for everyone else. Either Roberts is her spouse or he isn’t.
If AOC willingly sidestepped the law, she should face the same penalties anyone else would. It’s time for equal enforcement.
If she wants the privileges, she needs to accept the consequences. Otherwise, she should lose those perks entirely.
The Bottom Line:
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez exploited a legal gray area to accept benefits for her partner without disclosing his financials.
The Ethics Committee has called her out, but the punishment was minimal.
If lawmakers can bend the rules this easily, the public trust in government transparency will continue to erode.
AOC’s actions don’t just break the spirit of the law—they break faith with the people she claims to represent.
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