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A watchdog group has filed a federal election complaint against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., alleging improper use of campaign funds to pay for psychiatric services rather than the “leadership training and consulting” reported in official disclosures.
The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) submitted the complaint on March 27 to both the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), calling for an investigation into three payments made in 2025 to Boston-based psychiatrist Dr. Brian Boyle totaling $18,725.
“NLPC alleges that AOC’s expenditure of almost $19,000 of campaign funds in 2025 to psychiatrist Dr. Brian W. Boyle ostensibly for ‘leadership training and consulting’ was expended instead for personal psychiatric services provided to AOC or members of her campaign staff,” wrote NLPC counsel Paul Kamenar in the complaint.
The payments in question occurred on March 10, May 15, and October 1, 2025, in amounts of $11,550, $2,800, and $4,375 respectively. According to the complaint, Boyle specializes in interventional psychiatry, particularly ketamine therapy for treating depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
The watchdog group emphasized that Boyle does not advertise leadership training or consulting services for political candidates or campaigns on his professional platforms. Kamenar noted that attempts to contact both Boyle and Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign for comment went unanswered.
Federal election law and House ethics guidelines explicitly prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal expenses. The regulations establish that the key determination is whether an expense would exist regardless of a person’s candidacy. The NLPC argues that if Boyle provided therapeutic services rather than campaign-related consulting, this could constitute a prohibited personal use of campaign funds.
“There is reason to believe that AOC’s use of campaign funds to pay for a psychiatrist who has no experience in ‘leadership training’ was not for a ‘bona fide campaign or political purpose,’ but rather for personal psychiatric therapy for AOC or her campaign staff,” the complaint states.
This is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has faced scrutiny over campaign expenditures. Earlier reporting highlighted that she spent over $53,000 in campaign funds on luxury hotels in 2025, drawing criticism from political opponents.
The congresswoman has previously spoken openly about attending therapy following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. “Oh yeah, I’m doing therapy but also I’ve just slowed down,” Ocasio-Cortez told People magazine in 2021.
The timing of the complaint is notable as Ocasio-Cortez has been an outspoken advocate for reforming drug policies related to psychedelic substances. Just last week, during a House Health Subcommittee hearing, she argued for reviewing Schedule I drug classifications to remove barriers to scientific research on substances like psilocybin and MDMA for therapeutic uses.
“Right now our law says these drugs have zero medical application but the science says something else,” Ocasio-Cortez stated during the hearing. “Not only that, but the wealth of medical research shows that these are potential treatments for treatment-resistant PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, but the schedule classification really prevents researchers from continuing to work on this.”
The NLPC complaint itself does not establish wrongdoing but requests that federal regulators determine whether campaign finance rules were violated and whether the payments were misreported. The filing specifically asks for an investigation into whether the services provided by Dr. Boyle were legitimately campaign-related or personal in nature.
Boyle is described in the complaint as “a leading authority on ketamine,” a controlled substance that gained public attention following its connection to the death of actor Matthew Perry.
As of reporting time, neither Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign nor congressional office has responded to requests for comment on the allegations. The FEC and OCC have not yet announced whether they will pursue an investigation based on the complaint.
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4 Comments
This is an important issue that deserves a careful, impartial investigation. Misuse of campaign funds, if proven true, would be a serious breach of trust. I hope the facts come to light through due process.
Allegations of campaign finance violations are always serious. I hope the authorities investigate this thoroughly and objectively to determine the facts. Improper use of funds would be unacceptable, but we should withhold judgment until the full story emerges.
This is an interesting complaint, if true. Using campaign funds for personal psychiatric services would be quite concerning. I’d want to see more evidence before drawing any conclusions, though. What do others think about this?
I’m curious to learn more about the details here. Were the psychiatric services actually used for campaign-related purposes like the reported ‘leadership training and consulting’? Or was there potential misuse of funds? This warrants a closer look by the authorities.