The House Committee on Ethics has criticized Progressive ‘Squad’ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for inconsistently referring to her fiancé as her ‘spouse’ in government documents.
Ocasio-Cortez, 35, a Democrat from New York, faced criticism from the ethics committee in its July 2025 report. The criticism arose from her listing her fiancé Riley Roberts as her ‘spouse’ on federal documents for the 2021 Met Gala, even though they were not legally married.
The report indicated that Ocasio-Cortez listed Mr. Roberts as her ‘spouse’ on paperwork related to privately sponsored travel, despite not being legally married at the time of the gifted travel.
The ethics panel also found discrepancies between the gala documents and AOC’s financial filings. Roberts was not listed as a spouse in her financial filings, which would typically require disclosure of stock and other holdings, a requirement for all spouses.
The Committee further noted that although AOC attempted to use exceptions to the Gift Rule for spouses, she was not disclosing Mr. Roberts’s financial interests, which is required for legally married Members.
Additionally, the ethics panel mandated that the congresswoman repay thousands of dollars for not adhering to market rates related to her 2021 Met Gala appearance. The committee discovered that AOC underpaid for the red and white ‘Tax the Rich’ dress, jewelry, and accessories worn to the event organized by Vogue’s Anna Wintour.
Once the congresswoman pays an additional $2,700 to vendors for the clothing and accessories, the Democrat’s investigation will be considered closed, the ethics panel wrote in its July 2025 report. They noted she’s been cooperative in the probe.
Wintour personally invited AOC and Roberts to the event, something the ethics committee later criticized in its July 2025 report.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her fiancé Riley Roberts at the Met Gala in 2021
AOC leaves the Carlyle hotel for the Met Gala on September 13, 2021. The House Committee on Ethics reported last month that once the lawmaker pays an additional $2,700 to vendors for her dress and accessories the probe into the matter will be considered closed
The congresswoman’s dress rental was estimated to cost around $3,000 by the House Committee on Ethics estimation. AOC originally paid just $300 to wear the gown
The political star has been engaged to Roberts since he proposed during a vacation to Puerto Rico in April 2022. The pair met as undergraduate students at Boston University.
Within the filings, AOC’s attorney David Mitrani argued that the Democrat’s partner is not subject to ‘financial disclosure guidance [because] Mr. Roberts is not considered a spouse.’
Despite not being subject to spousal financial disclosures, the committee notes how Roberts did reap the benefits of being an official congressional spouse.
One of the perks Roberts enjoyed was receiving an official spouse’s congressional pin, which allows the partners of lawmakers to access typically restricted parts of the Capitol complex.
‘Mr. Roberts and the Congresswoman have been together since 2014, and have lived together since 2016,’ the committee writes. ‘Mr. Roberts has had a spouse pin since the Congresswoman entered Congress in 2019.’
‘It is clear that the term ‘spouse’ – as utilized in this former rule and as seemingly accepted by the Committee by expanding ‘spouse or dependent’ to any guest – was intended to allow a Member of Congress to bring the individual that they’ve decided to share their lives with to a charity event, regardless of whether they had taken steps to bring the law or religion into their relationship.’
AOC’s shielding of her longtime partner from federal disclosures means its unclear if Roberts has any stock investments in companies from the Democrat’s district, or if he has any investments at all.
This comes as the 35-year-old Democrat has been pushing for a congressional stock trading ban that would also bar congressional spouses from trading.
AOC and Roberts have been together since 2014
AOC at a ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour stop in Tempe, Arizona, in March
Many have speculated that AOC would win should she run against incumbent Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
AOC is seen as a possible contender for both the New York Senate race in 2026 and the presidential race in 2028.
Speculation over AOC’s next move began percolating earlier this year when she began touring the country with Sen. Bernie Sanders for their ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ Tour which kicked off in February.
Despite the rumor-mill turning, Ocasio-Cortez has not announced a run for higher office and has maintained she’s focused on representing the Bronx. She’s won her district handedly every year since taking office in 2019.
Still, many believe AOC will run, even members in the GOP.
Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett told Fox News over the weekend he believes AOC would trounce Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., should she run against him next year.
‘Frankly, I’m looking forward to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez primarying him (Schumer) very soon, and seeing him ran out of town because even no one, no one believes what he says,’ the Republican said.
