Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is back under the ethics spotlight after her campaign reported a cluster of payments last fall to The Only Agency, a high-end hair and makeup firm, according to campaign disclosures. The individual charges, each in the $600 to $700 range and totaling just over $2,000, have drawn fresh scrutiny from opponents and stirred questions about how politicians should account for styling costs. The filings also revive attention on Ocasio-Cortez following the widely covered review of her 2021 Met Gala appearance.
Campaign filings show payments for celebrity styling
According to campaign finance records cited by the New York Post, filings list multiple payments to The Only Agency dated Nov. 5, 2025, with reported amounts of about $670, $665 and $693.08. In total, the campaign’s outlays to that vendor last fall came to more than $2,000.
The Post also notes that The Only Agency’s published event rates start near $600 for either hair or makeup, a price point critics have seized on as tone-deaf for a lawmaker who has built her brand around economic populism.
Where AOC was seen
Those vendor charges landed during a busy run of public events. On Nov. 4, 2025, Ocasio-Cortez appeared at Zohran Mamdani’s election night watch party at the Brooklyn Paramount, according to Gothamist. She had also campaigned alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders at a Forest Hills get-out-the-vote rally on Oct. 26, 2025, per AFP reporting carried by NBCRightNow.
Critics pounced; campaign pushes back
Republicans were quick to jump on the spending. The New York Post quoted RNC national press secretary Kiersten Pels saying the payments “shows she’d rather live like the 1%,” a line that opponents have eagerly highlighted.
In a response filed with the House Committee on Ethics, Ocasio-Cortez’s counsel wrote that the congresswoman “finds these delays unacceptable” and has taken steps to ensure vendor invoices are handled differently going forward, according to committee documents.
Legal implications
The latest scrutiny comes against the backdrop of the Office of Congressional Ethics review of Ocasio-Cortez’s 2021 Met Gala appearance. The OCE found “substantial reason to believe” she accepted impermissible gifts related to that event and recommended further review. The House Committee on Ethics has continued examining that referral to determine whether any gifts or services were improperly accepted or reported, a process that could produce additional questions about how campaign and personal expenses are distinguished.
What to watch next
Observers are now watching for any amended campaign disclosures, additional vendor invoices or formal follow-ups from the Committee on Ethics or federal regulators. Media attention often accelerates records requests and internal reviews. Outlets including Fox News note that OCE referrals can lead to further enforcement steps, although any penalties or findings would be determined by the House committee or other agencies involved.
