Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is facing fresh scrutiny after the House Ethics Committee rebuked her for exploiting congressional spouse rules to grant her longtime partner, Riley Roberts, perks normally reserved for legally married spouses—while avoiding financial disclosure requirements.
According to the committee, Ocasio-Cortez accepted a $35,000 Met Gala ticket for Roberts in 2021, a benefit only allowed for a lawful spouse. Her attorney, David Mitrani, argued that “Roberts is considered a ‘spouse’” under federal campaign finance law, but admitted he does not qualify under the House’s financial disclosure rules. This selective definition allowed Roberts to enjoy luxury travel and even hold a congressional “spouse pin” since 2019, while keeping his income, assets, and business dealings hidden from the public.
“The Committee further notes that at the same time Representative Ocasio-Cortez was seeking to take advantage of exceptions to the Gift Rule… she was not disclosing Mr. Roberts’s financial interests,” the panel wrote.
Watchdog groups blasted the double standard. “She wants to take advantage of the perks of Roberts being a congressional spouse when it’s convenient,” said Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette of the Project on Government Oversight. Paul Kamenar of the National Legal and Policy Center called the defense “an affront to Members of Congress who are legally married and abide by the disclosure rules.”
The committee ordered Ocasio-Cortez to repay $3,000 in impermissible gifts, but questions remain about whether the congresswoman used this loophole to shield Roberts’s finances from public view.
