Fact Check: Did AOC's $400K security expense go directly to her ex-boyfriend’s firm?
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Amid reports that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) quietly ended her relationship with her longtime fiancé, Riley Roberts, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that the Congresswoman’s $400K security expense went directly to Riley’s firm. The claim has sparked concerns and criticisms, along with calls for a fact-check.
Claim: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's security expense went to her boyfriend's firm
According to a viral Facebook post, a whistleblower revealed AOC's office spent $400K on security that went directly to her now ex-boyfriend's consulting firm.
The claim was accompanied by a link to an article that stated, “A former scheduler in Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional office has filed a whistleblower complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics alleging that $437,000 in ‘enhanced security services’ expenditures were diverted to a consulting firm operated by the congresswoman’s boyfriend, Riley Roberts.”
The article further alleges that Roberts’ firm ‘Digital Safety Partners LLC’ lists him as its sole employee and principal consultant, despite what the complaint describes as his “lack of applicable credentials in threat assessment, cybersecurity, or any field related to personal protection.”
AOC’s office purportedly dismissed the alleged complaint as “a misogynistic attack on a woman with a boyfriend who happens to have skills.”
The comments under the post indicate conflicting reactions, with some believing it to be true, while others called it baseless, prompting a fact check.
Fact Check: The claim originated from a parody account
However, the claim is false, as there is no credible evidence that suggests that AOC's office spent $400K on security that went directly to her now ex-boyfriend's firm.
If the claim were true, credible news media outlets would have widely covered it, making headlines, sparking nationwide criticisms against the New York congresswoman.
Moreover, the claim originated from a popular Facebook parody account called ‘America’s Last Line of Defense,’ which has posted similar fake and click-baity claims for the sake of engagement.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addresses breakup rumors amid egg-freezing treatment
Following her reported breakup, when asked about the split, Ocasio-Cortez gave a very brief answer without clarifying whether the relationship had actually ended.
“I don’t comment on my private life, thank you,” Ocasio-Cortez said before walking away, according to a report by the New York Post.
Several reports claimed that the couple had already gone their separate ways even before the news became public.
The developments came as Ocasio-Cortez made headlines after she decided to publicly document her egg-freezing treatment.
