A New York Post report reveals Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign spent $18,725 in 2025 on Dr. Brian Boyle, chief psychiatric officer at Stella clinics specializing in ketamine therapy for treatment-resistant conditions like depression and PTSD. Payments ($11,550 March, $2,800 May, $4,375 October) were labeled “leadership training and consulting.”
Critics, including Paul Kamenar, allege that campaign funds were misused for personal therapy, potentially violating FEC rules. AOC has advocated psychedelic research and discussed her therapy post-Jan. 6 and campaign stress. Boyle and AOC’s campaign did not comment, and many experts note ketamine’s risks as a dissociative drug.
Speaking on a poidcast last year, Dr. Brian Boyle said, “I just saw the incredible power of what these treatments could do… It’s a ton of fun helping patients get better,” adding, “Celebrities tend to be more inclined to be on the hunt for highly effective solutions across beauty, health, mental health, nutrition and so on.”
Several years ago, AOC claimed, “It’s well past time we take drug use out of criminal consideration and into medical consideration.” Later in 2021, she admitted, “Oh yeah, I’m doing therapy… an extraordinarily traumatizing event… I’ve had to take a beat.”
“I went from doing yoga and making wild rice and salmon dinners to eating fast food for dinner and falling asleep in my jeans and makeup… I neglected myself,” she said on Instagram in 2018, describing her first campaign.
Paul Kamenar, counsel to the National Legal and Policy Center, explained, “While I can understand why AOC would spend $18,000 for a shrink whose specialties include narcissistic personality disorders, using her campaign contributions for what appears to be an expense for personal use violates federal campaign finance laws… This looks like yet another example of misuse of campaign contributions.”
Breaking the story on social media, reverend Jordan Wells reacted, “🚨BREAKING:🚨AOC reportedly dropped nearly **$19,000** of **campaign donor money** on a psychiatrist famous for **ketamine therapy** — and labeled it ‘**leadership training and consulting**.'”
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The same source added, “Because nothing screams “effective leadership” like a $19K therapy bill paid by supporters. She’s out here fighting for the working class… by getting high-end mental health sessions on their dime? Classic socialist priorities: rules for thee, ketamine for me. 🚀💉.”
Reacting to the post, one user noted, “Ketamine Cortez – that explains her understanding of geography at least.” Agreeing, another pointed out, “Was that before the $50,000 Puerto Rico trip? 🤔” Agreeing, one comment suggested, “Damn, she just gave away her dx. They only use ketamine therapy for bipolar or schizophrenia 😳”
“Hmmmmm……..Do we need drug testing for members of Congress?! It would actually explain some of the crazy behavior,” a suspicious user wondered. Likewise, one conservative explained, “Ketamine is for treatment-resistant MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER. Democrats senseless policies are as depressing as themselves. Please 🙏🏿, don’t be a Democrat.”
“So she is admitting she needs psychiatric treatment for a mental illness! This is not the first choice of treatment for anything! Is she even capable of doing her job? Definitely an addictive drug! Remember Mathew Perry? Just saying!” a comment added.
Offering a relevant anecdote, one woman explained, “I have done medical ketamine therapy. Doctor & nurse monitored iv bag induction…. It was $375 per session, 19,000 pays 4 51 treatments. Protocol is 6 over 3 weeks then boosters every six months. She hasn’t been in congress 4 51 visits.”
Watch JD Vance roast AOC here: