The Democratic representative of the state of New York was denounced for the misuse of campaign funds.
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A complaint filed in Washington puts Democratic congresswoman from New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, under scrutiny for the misuse of campaign funds in expenses that could be linked to mental health services.
The claim was promoted by the “National Legal and Policy Center” (NLPC), a government oversight organization based in the American capital, which went to both the Federal Electoral Commission (FEC) and the Congressional Office of Conduct (OCC). In its presentation, the group requested the opening of a formal investigation to determine if the legislator, her campaign committee and her treasurer committed violations of federal regulations governing the use of electoral funds
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The axis of the controversy revolves around payments totaling $18,725 made over the past year to a Boston-based psychiatrist, Dr. Brian Boyle. These disbursements were officially recorded as “leadership training and consulting” expenses. However, according to the complaint, there would be reason to suspect that the services provided did not match that description and could, in fact, have been personal therapy sessions
. Ocasio Cortez for making payments of thousands of dollars to a Boston psychiatrist who billed them as “leadership training and consulting services”
NLPC lawyer Paul Kamenar argued in the document that “there is reason to believe” that the funds were used for purposes not permitted by law, which would involve an misuse of campaign money. In the United States, electoral regulations explicitly prohibit allocating these resources to personal expenses. Penalties for non-compliance can include fines, the obligation to reimburse the amounts questioned, and even sentences of up to five years in prison in the most serious
cases.
The profile of the professional involved has also been the subject of attention. Boyle presents himself as an “interventional psychiatrist” and specializes in innovative treatments for disorders such as resistant depression, anxiety
and post-traumatic stress.
His areas of work include the therapeutic use of ketamine, a substance that, although it has gained ground in certain medical fields, is still considered controversial. This detail has helped to amplify media interest in the
case.
So far, neither Ocasio-Cortez's office nor her campaign team have provided public explanations about the specific nature of the contracted services or the reasons behind their classification as “leadership consulting.” Nor has it been clarified who would have participated in those sessions, which reinforces the doubts raised
in the complaint. The lawyer of the complainant association was forceful in asserting that the funds were used for illegal reasons.
The episode takes on an additional political dimension when considering the congresswoman's record. Ocasio-Cortez has been a prominent figure in the communist wing of the Democratic Party and has built her image around defending transparency, fairness and criticism of the privileges of economic elites. In this context, the accusations raise questions about a clear contradiction between their public discourse and their private practices
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In addition, the legislator has spoken openly about her mental health in the past, including her decision to attend therapy following the events of January 6, 2021 on Capitol Hill. He has also promoted initiatives to expand research on the medical use of psychedelic substances, arguing that preliminary studies show promising results
.
For now, Ocasio-Cortez's situation remains in the preliminary stage. The decision of the competent authorities will be decisive in establishing if there was an infringement or if the expenses can be justified within the legal margins
. Ocasio-Cortez has used the discourse of apparent transparency throughout her political career, but her financial movements demonstrate a different scenario
