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Progressive Democratic congresswoman’s campaign spent upwards of $10,000 for catering services on two dates this summer, according to the report
Brendan Rasciusin New YorkThursday 11 December 2025 21:50 GMTComments
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Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has come under scrutiny for spending nearly $50,000 on trips to Puerto Rico in recent months, according to a new report.
The New York Democrat — a progressive firebrand and self-identified democratic socialist — spent the money on upscale hotels and restaurants in the third quarter of 2025, according to campaign finance filings, The New York Post reported on Thursday.
Her principal campaign committee forked over $650.52 on July 28 for a stay at the Hotel Palacio Provincial, a boutique 19th century hotel in San Juan, while it spent $9,440,79 on September 29.
In total, her campaign shelled out $15,489.77 for accommodations on the island between July 1 and September 30.
In addition, a minimum of $10,743.13 was spent on catering services and meals on two dates: August 25 and September 29, the Post revealed.
During a trip in August, Ocasio-Cortez — whose mother was born in Puerto Rico — attended a Bad Bunny concert in San Juan with fellow New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez and a number of celebrities, including Austin Butler and Penelope Cruz.
open image in galleryCongresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a firebrand democratic socialist, has come under scrutiny for spending nearly $50,000 on trips to Puerto Rico this year, according to a new report (AFP via Getty Images)Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben, a spokesperson for the congresswoman’s campaign, told the outlet that Ocasio-Cortez “regularly travels to Puerto Rico to support local causes and host events that require both staff and security.”
“She is deeply proud of her investment in grassroots organizing and will continue to be active in advocating for both people on the island and the millions of Puerto Ricans in the diaspora,” Hidalgo-Wohlleben added.
He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.
open image in galleryA spokesperson for her campaign said Ocasio-Cortez ‘regularly travels to Puerto Rico to support local causes and host events that require both staff and security’ (AOC Instagram)Ocasio-Cortez, who was first elected in 2018, has become a star among progressive Democrats, championing causes such as Medicare for All, affordable housing and climate action through the Green New Deal.
The Bronx native and former bartender — who has recently traveled the country on a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour — positioned herself as a staunch opponent of President Donald Trump and as a passionate advocate for the working class.
“We have to run from the bottom up,” she said last year. “The demands of the working class, like better wages, must be front and center.”
In 2019, she announced her staffers would make a minimum of $52,000 per year, earning some of the highest starting salaries on Capitol Hill. “We pinch pennies elsewhere, but it’s worth every dime to pay a living wage,” she said at the time.
In response to the Post’s story, social media users expressed a mix of reactions.
“AOC: champion of the poor… unless there’s a pricey hotel or a Bad Bunny concert involved,” wrote one user on X.
“Don't listen to them, AOC,” wrote another. “They would've called you a diehard leftist gorilla fighter, had you stayed in a tent.”
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