A government accountability nonprofit is urging the House of Representatives to investigate whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) misused her taxpayer-funded Member Representational Allowance (MRA). Americans for Public Trust, a nonpartisan watchdog organization, sent a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) on Tuesday, raising concerns over “several troubling expenses” from Ocasio-Cortez’s disbursements, which they claim violate federal law and House standards.
Every member of Congress is allocated an MRA to cover official duties, with strict restrictions against its use for personal or campaign-related expenses, as outlined by the Congressional Research Service. However, Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive and member of the “Squad,” faces accusations of potentially using these funds for campaign purposes.
The scrutiny centers around a $3,700 payment to “Juan D Gonzalez” and an $850 payment to “Bombazo Dance Co Inc.,” both categorized as “training” expenses. Americans for Public Trust contends these expenditures may not align with the intended use of the MRA and warrant a formal inquiry.
Ocasio-Cortez responded to the allegations on social media, refuting claims that she misused taxpayer funds. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she stated:
“100% wrong. None of this is taxpayer money, this is an FEC filing. Be loud and wrong about something else. Try again next time.”
Despite her denial, Americans for Public Trust has pointed out inconsistencies in her statement, arguing that the expenses in question were indeed drawn from her MRA. “Either she does not know the difference between her campaign funds and MRA, or, more likely, she knows the highlighted expenses were not for official business and should have been paid by her campaign and reported to the FEC,” the filing states.
Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, emphasized the need for an investigation in a statement to Fox News Digital:
“Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s troubling payments from her taxpayer-funded account for activities such as dance classes should be investigated. In the era of reining in government spending, the American people deserve to know lawmakers are being good stewards of their tax dollars.”
Fox News notes this is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has faced ethics complaints. In 2023, the Heritage Foundation accused her of “falsely accusing” and “defaming” the creator of the Libs of TikTok Twitter account, Chaya Raichik. Additionally, she was the subject of an ethics probe in 2023 over allegations of accepting “impermissible gifts” related to her attendance at the 2021 Met Gala, which could have violated House rules and federal law.
