Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign is facing new scrutiny after filings showed she spent thousands of dollars on upscale hotels while touring the country with Sen. Bernie Sanders for their “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies earlier this year, according to Fox News Digital.
The Federal Election Commission filings reveal her campaign dropped money at some of the West Coast’s swankier hotels around the same time she was appearing on stage with Sanders. The Washington Examiner first reported the findings.
The pair drew huge crowds earlier in the year, with more than 300,000 people attending 34 rallies across 20 states, according to Sanders. While their message centered on challenging corporate greed and the billionaire class, Fox News Digital also noted that the two flew private on parts of the tour.
The filings show Ocasio-Cortez wasn’t exactly cutting costs when it came to lodging. On March 25, her campaign spent $3,508.92 at the Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas. Just a few days before, she joined Sanders for a rally in Vegas where both spoke against oligarchy.
Around the same time, another FEC report showed her campaign shelled out $3,165.76 at The Leo Kent Hotel in Tucson, a boutique spot known for its high-rise views. That payment was dated April 25, coinciding with a rally she and Sanders held in Arizona.
April also included a $3,445.59 charge at the Asher Adams Hotel in Salt Lake City. Earlier that month she and Sanders had hosted a rally in the city.
And those weren’t the only big bills. Campaign finance reports show her team spent additional thousands at CitizenM in California, Hotel Vermont, Hotel Renegade in Idaho, and Lansdowne Resort and Spa in Virginia.
The hotel spending is raising eyebrows because of the sharp contrast with the anti-corporate message she and Sanders were delivering on stage. Ocasio-Cortez, often floated as a possible presidential contender in 2028, has built her brand on taking on the wealthy and powerful. That’s why the campaign’s choice of boutique hotels and luxury resorts is getting attention.
While it’s not unusual for high-profile political figures to travel comfortably, the costs laid out in the reports are significant. And with the spotlight on her growing national profile, every dollar her campaign spends is being dissected more closely.
Supporters of Ocasio-Cortez might see the criticism as overblown, pointing to the logistical and safety challenges of traveling nonstop for a high-energy, multi-state campaign. But detractors are already seizing on the filings as proof she’s not living by the standards she demands of others.
As the rallies wrapped up, what lingers is not just the memory of packed arenas and fiery speeches but also a paper trail showing her campaign’s willingness to spend big on style while calling out America’s wealthiest.