Staff Reports
An ethics complaint exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation states that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic Representative from New York, is facing criticism for allegedly hiding thousands of dollars in campaign spending. The complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), focuses on campaign expenses of over $9,600 that do not specify the reason for the charges.
🚨EXCLUSIVE🚨 from @JennieSTaer
AOC Concealed Thousands In Campaign Spending, Ethics Complaint Alleges https://t.co/y9J99U16MD
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 17, 2023
According to Dan Backer, who filed a complaint on behalf of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been accused of repeatedly and blatantly violating federal campaign finance laws by concealing how she spent thousands of dollars in campaign funds. The complaint alleges that the congresswoman authorized card payments amounting to tens of thousands of dollars throughout 2022, with payments made to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez herself, American Express, and a defunct entity called 'Veyond!'.
Although campaigns can use charge cards for expenses that are deemed "permissible campaign-related expenses," they are required to accurately identify the recipient of the funds and the goods and services purchased with those charge cards in their disclosure reports. However, the reports submitted by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress (AOC for Congress) allegedly did not meet these requirements, prompting the filed complaint.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been involved in several controversies in the past. For instance, she wore a dress with the words "Tax the Rich" to the Met Gala and received complimentary tickets to the event, which are normally worth $35,000. The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) suggested that this might have violated "impermissible gifts" under federal law and "standards of conduct."
Ocasio-Cortez's attorney argued that the issue did not breach House Rules, and her office has not responded to inquiries about the latest complaint. Nevertheless, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Ocasio-Cortez is gaining a reputation for being a political rule-breaker.
