UH OH: AOC Caught Up in Possible Ethics Scandal Regarding Her Marital Status
An exclusive report reveals that Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is in a possible ethics scandal regarding her marital status.
The Free Beacon reported Wednesday that AOC has referred to her fiancé Riley Roberts as her spouse in four separate forms filed with the House Ethics Committee in 2023. As Andrew Kerr, the author of the piece, notes the committee defines a spouse as someone to whom you are legally married. In fact, it appears a whopping 161 times in the House Ethics Manual.
NEW: Is AOC married?
Her office says no, but she's identified Riley Roberts as her “spouse” in four filings with the House Ethics Committee so far in 2023.
The committee has a strict definition of spouse — “someone to whom you are legally married.”
— Andrew Kerr (@AndrewKerrNC) September 13, 2023
Here is a better look at one of the files:
Moreover, if AOC did legally marry Roberts, that means his finances are subject to public scrutiny. Yet she refused to include any of his assets in her filings.
If AOC is indeed married, her spouse's finances are now subject to public disclosure.
But she did not disclose any of Roberts’s reportable stock holdings, assets, or income on her latest financial disclosure, though she did make two references to her “spouse” in the filing. pic.twitter.com/USREG8xvdI
— Andrew Kerr (@AndrewKerrNC) September 13, 2023
This might explain why AOC’s spokeswoman Lauren Hitt told told the Washington Free Beacon that AOC and Roberts are not legally married. Better for the public to believe AOC and her team are too stupid to fill out forms properly rather than AOC deliberately trying to cheat the system.
Hitt also incorrectly stated that the Ethics Committee has recognized spouses to mean long-term partners.
Kerr reports the findings came as result of AOC’s overseas travels and points out something interesting suggesting a strong conflict of interest on AOC’s part.
Four legal filings submitted to the House Ethics Committee pertaining to AOC’s overseas travels in 2022 and 2023 suggest the pair have been legally married at least since Jan. 13, 2023. If that is the case, the “Squad” member can no longer leverage the so-called boyfriend loophole to evade public disclosure of his finances.
But AOC apparently does not want the rules to apply to her.
Riley Roberts lives with AOC. He accompanies her on official overseas travel. They presumably share living expenses.
But unlike other congressional spouses, his finances have been shielded from the public thanks to a boyfriend loophole in disclosure laws.
Despite establishing herself as a champion of congressional ethics, AOC has no interest in closing this loophole.
The legislation she introduced in May to ban her colleagues and their spouses from trading stocks?
Doesn't apply to Roberts if they remain unmarried. Convenient. pic.twitter.com/vBWYMqy1Tf
— Andrew Kerr (@AndrewKerrNC) September 13, 2023
This almost certainly explains why she has no interest in closing the boyfriend loophole. Kerr notes how hypocritical this is on her part:
Despite establishing herself as a champion of congressional ethics, AOC has no interest in closing this loophole.
The legislation she introduced in May to ban her colleagues and their spouses from trading stocks?
Doesn’t apply to Roberts if they remain unmarried. Convenient.
This opens up another question: what is AOC hiding?
AOC makes a big show out of not owning stocks or crypto. She says this is so she can do her job “as ethically and impartially as I can.”
But what about Riley Roberts? Does he own stocks or crypto?
I've asked AOC's office several times since she got engaged. They won't say.
— Andrew Kerr (@AndrewKerrNC) September 13, 2023
Unsurprisingly, social media had plenty of funny jokes at AOC’s expense.
Is this guy part of the patriarchy or did AOC grant him a pardon?
— David Condon (@ucanreadgood) September 13, 2023
Well, now how am I going to be mad she won't date me?
— John-Jacob Jingleheimer Smith (@Kihr____) September 13, 2023
Well, she wouldn't be the 1st member of The Squad to have dubious marrital status.
— Broodwars (@broodwars64) September 13, 2023
Did we ever think to ask if AOC is identifying as a married woman ???
— MarvinDorfler (@MarvinDorfler26) September 13, 2023
I don't know who has it worse, Prince Harry or this guy.
— Kelly (@countrygrl_99) September 13, 2023