Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's campaign has been splashing cash like a high roller in Vegas, dropping nearly $50,000 in Puerto Rico on posh hotels and pricey eats, Yahoo reported.
Between late June and September 2025, the New York Democrat's campaign racked up a hefty tab that included a massive venue rental in San Juan, raising eyebrows over how this aligns with her progressive, anti-elite rhetoric.
Let's start with the timeline: in late June 2025, the campaign shelled out part of a $23,000 payment for a "venue rental" at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
By late July and into August, the spending spree hit luxury hotels in San Juan, with over $15,000 dropped at spots like Hotel Palacio Provincial and Hotel El Convento.
Then there’s the food bill—over $10,000 on catering and meals at upscale restaurants like Cocina Abierta and Verde Mesa, which sounds more like a gourmet tour than grassroots organizing.
Social media clips from August 2025 show AOC speaking against gentrification at a Puerto Rico housing development, which is noble—until you see her dancing in apparent box seats at a Bad Bunny concert on August 10 alongside Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
That concert ties into the Coliseo rental, coinciding with Bad Bunny’s 31-show residency at the same venue, drawing big names like LeBron James and Penelope Cruz.
Was this a campaign event or a star-studded night out? The $23,000 venue cost—split across two payments—leaves questions about whether taxpayers are funding a cause or a party.
Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben, AOC's campaign manager, defended the trips, saying, "She regularly travels to Puerto Rico to support local causes and host events that require both staff and security."
Continuing, Hidalgo-Wohlleben added, "She is deeply proud of her investment in grassroots organizing and will continue to be active in advocating for both people on the island and the millions of Puerto Ricans in the diaspora."
Grassroots organizing is commendable, but it’s hard to square that with five-figure hotel bills and concert venue rentals—shouldn’t advocacy look a bit more, well, frugal? One wonders if the diaspora feels represented by rooftop bars and box seats.
Meanwhile, stateside spending during the same period wasn’t exactly penny-pinching, with nearly $5,000 at Hotel Vermont in Burlington and almost $2,000 at the upscale Thompson Central Park near Manhattan’s iconic green space.
More eyebrow-raisers include $3,000 at the trendy Arlo Williamsburg in Brooklyn, complete with a rooftop pool, and over $6,000 at a fancy D.C. eatery called Ama.
Even dessert got the VIP treatment, with $4,500 on ice cream from Mr. Ding-a-ling in Latham, New York—surely a sweet deal, but at what cost to campaign optics?
Some of this domestic extravagance ties to a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders earlier in 2025, which makes one ponder: Is fighting the elite best done over thousand-dollar dinners at places like Central Park Boathouse? While AOC’s passion for her causes isn’t in doubt, conservatives might argue that fiscal restraint could better match the message of standing up for the little guy.
