AOC claims she is not married, despite listing her fiancé as ‘spouse’ on disclosures.
Squad Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Fiancé Listed as “Spouse” on Disclosures
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC, has raised eyebrows by repeatedly listing her fiancé as her “spouse” on disclosures filed with the House Ethics Committee. Despite this, her office denies that they have gotten married.
In forms submitted to the ethics panel regarding foreign travel in 2022 and 2023, Ocasio-Cortez indicated that Riley Roberts, her web developer fiancé, is her spouse. This has been the case since January of this year. However, the congresswoman has not made any public announcements about their marital status. Her spokeswoman, Lauren Hitt, has stated that Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts are not legally married, but rather, the term “spouse” is being used to refer to long-term partners.
“They are not legally married,” Hitt said. “House Ethics has commonly recognized the term spouse to extend to long-term partners.”
Despite Hitt’s explanation, the discrepancy between Ocasio-Cortez’s disclosures and statements could lead to further investigations into her finances by watchdog groups. In March, the Office of Congressional Ethics found that Ocasio-Cortez likely violated federal law by attending the 2021 Met Gala. The House Ethics Committee subsequently opened an investigation into the matter in December 2022.
Contrary to Hitt’s comment, the House Ethics Committee strictly defines a spouse as “someone to whom you are legally married,” according to official documents. The committee oversees the code of conduct that governs how members of Congress should act.
The Office of Congressional Ethics considers long-term partners of lawmakers to be “synonymous with a spouse,” but its power is limited by the House Ethics Committee. The Office of Congressional Ethics can only make recommendations to the ethics panel regarding enforcement, and its decisions are not legally binding.
Ocasio-Cortez publicly announced her engagement to Roberts in May of the previous year. When asked about wedding plans, she responded, “We’re taking some space to savor this time before diving into planning.” If they are indeed married, Ocasio-Cortez should have reported Roberts’ salary on her 2022 financial disclosure, according to Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust.
“There is no exception to this rule,” she told the Washington Free Beacon.
Lawmakers who intentionally misrepresent information in official filings could face civil penalties of up to $50,000, as stated by the House Ethics Committee. In extreme cases, individuals could even face up to five years in prison.
Ocasio-Cortez listed Roberts as her spouse on her post-travel disclosure form for her February trip to Japan and South Korea, sponsored by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. She also referred to Roberts as her “spouse” on filings for her August trip to South America, which was funded with the help of George Soros’s Foundation to Promote Open Society.
For both of these trips, Roberts reportedly paid for his own expenses.
These revelations about Ocasio-Cortez’s disclosures are significant as she continues to position herself as an advocate for ethics. In April, she co-sponsored a bipartisan measure that would prohibit members of Congress from trading stocks.
In August, the congresswoman called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for allegedly failing to report significant gifts. Conservatives argue that Thomas was not required to disclose many of these gifts, as there were no laws mandating such disclosures.
The House Ethics Committee and Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
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