AOC hit with ethics complaint over $19K in campaign cash spent on Ketamine specialist

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is facing fresh scrutiny after a government watchdog accused her of improperly spending campaign cash on a psychiatrist tied to controversial ketamine therapy.

The DC-based National Legal and Policy Center filed a joint complaint Friday with the Federal Elections Commission and the Office of Congressional Conduct, urging both agencies to investigate the New York Democrat, her campaign committee, and its treasurer, Frank Llewellyn.

It reads, “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. Accordingly, those expenses were also misreported by the campaign committee with the FEC. NLPC requests that the FEC and OCC immediately investigate the facts and circumstances of these payments and impose appropriate penalties and disciplinary sanctions against AOC.” 

The complaint further claims, “there is reason to believe that Dr Boyle does not provide campaign ‘Leadership Training and Consulting,'” pointing instead to his background in treating depression and his reputation as a “leading authority” on ketamine therapy.

Questions around doctor’s role and payments

At the center of the complaint is Boston-based psychiatrist Dr Brian W Boyle, who received four payments from Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign last year totaling $18,725. The expenses were labeled as “leadership training and consulting,” though the complaint argues that description may not reflect the actual services provided.

“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 group’s counsel Paul Kamenar wrote in the complaint.

The watchdog is pushing authorities to determine whether the payments were inaccurately reported in official filings. It also requested the commission “impose appropriate penalties and disciplinary sanctions against AOC.”

Under federal law, campaign funds cannot be used for personal expenses. Violations can carry fines, potential prison time of up to five years, and requirements to repay misspent funds.

The group also asked the Office of Congressional Conduct to escalate the matter to the House Ethics Committee, which has enforcement powers like issuing subpoenas and imposing disciplinary action.

Background on therapy and ketamine links

Ocasio-Cortez has previously spoken publicly about her mental health, saying she sought therapy following the January 6 Capitol riots, when she said lawmakers effectively “served in war.”

Boyle, who is the chief psychiatric officer at Stella (a chain of clinics offering “novel” mental health treatments), describes himself as an “interventional psychiatrist” specializing in treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety.

He is also regarded as a “leading authority” on ketamine, a powerful anesthetic that has gained attention in recent years for its off-label use in mental health treatment. The drug also made headlines after being linked to the death of Matthew Perry, who had reportedly received ketamine in the weeks leading up to his passing.

Boyle’s clinic offers a range of treatments popular among high-net-worth clients, including the stellate ganglion block, which is an anesthetic injected into nerves in the neck to regulate the body’s fight-or-flight response. Figures like Bob Parsons, who has spoken about his struggles with PTSD after the Vietnam War, have publicly praised the procedure.

Still, key details remain unclear including what services were actually provided under the “leadership training” label and who participated in the sessions.

Kamenar noted in the complaint, “AOC’s spending almost $19,000 in campaign funds for a shrink appears to violate both the FEC and House Ethics rules prohibiting use of such funds for personal purposes. While AOC has been in therapy in the past, she should spend her own money if she needs psychiatric treatment from Dr Brian Boyle, whose specialty includes narcissistic personality disorder.”