Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) spent nearly $50,000 on upscale hotels and meals in Puerto Rico during the third quarter of this year, and also paid to rent a San Juan venue where she was filmed dancing at an August Bad Bunny concert, the New York Post reports. Her principal campaign committee reported nearly $700 for a July 28 stay at the luxurious Hotel Palacio Provincial, plus over $1,500 on August 29 and more than $9,4oo on September 29, even as the congresswoman who leads the so-called Squad criticized gentrification on the island on social media. The Post broke down the spending.
The Palacio Provincial advertises itself as housed in an historic early 19th-century building with reminders of its colonial past, while on August 25, the campaign also spent nearly $4,000 at Hotel El Convento, another 19th-century property proud of its “old world charm and elegance.” In total, Puerto Rico lodging costs for July 1 through September 30 amounted to more than $15,000. Meals and catering totaled upwards of $10,000 on August 25 and September 29, according to the FEC records.
Elsewhere on the island, Ocasio-Cortez was seen dancing with Brooklyn Rep. Nydia Velázquez at an August Bad Bunny concert in San Juan, part of the artist’s anti-ICE “Residency tour.” The campaign also spent over $23,000 on “venue rental” at Coliseo de Puerto Rico on June 24 and August 25, though it’s not clear if these charges are tied to the Bad Bunny events. A campaign spokesperson stated that Ocasio-Cortez frequently travels to Puerto Rico to support local causes and host events that require staff and security, adding that she takes pride in grassroots organizing and will continue advocating for Puerto Rico and the millions in diaspora.
The “first-class,” “adults only” Hotel Palacio Provincial boasts of being “situated within an historic early 19th century building” with “transcendent hints of the structure’s grand colonial past” — even as the “Squad” rep on her social media accounts denounced gentrification that was taking place on the island while visiting in August.
Hotel Palacio Provincial
Throughout the quarter, additional overseas hotel and dining expenses appeared as part of the “Fighting Oligarchy” effort with Senator Bernie Sanders, including $6,600 for stays at Hotel Vermont in Burlington, Vermont. The campaign also used funds for about $2,000 in lodging at the Thompson Central Park Hotel in Manhattan and $3,000 at Arlo Williamsburg in Brooklyn, with other charges comprising $6,300 for a meal at Ama in Navy Yard, DC, and $11,500 for dining across DC, Vermont, the Bronx, and Latham, NY.
Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign spending in Puerto Rico and elsewhere raises serious questions about consistency between her public advocacy and personal political choices. While she champions economic justice and condemns gentrification, her campaign’s use of funds for luxury hotels, high-end meals, and event rentals paints a conflicting picture. The episode deepens skepticism about whether progressive politicians truly live by the values they promote, suggesting that the line between activism and political indulgence can quickly blur.