Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign spending is drawing scrutiny after federal records revealed nearly $19,000 paid to a psychiatrist known for using unconventional mental health treatments, including ketamine therapy.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign paid Boston-based Dr. Brian Boyle a total of $18,725 across three transactions in 2025.
The payments, listed as “leadership training and consulting,” were made in March, May, and October. The campaign has not provided additional details بشأن the nature of the services or who participated.
Boyle serves as chief psychiatric officer at Stella, a network of clinics that focus on alternative treatments for conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. His work centers on “interventional psychiatry,” which includes therapies like ketamine infusions and stellate ganglion block, an anesthetic injection designed to regulate the body’s stress response.
These treatments have gained traction in certain medical and high-income circles, though they remain the subject of ongoing clinical debate.
The payments have prompted questions from critics about whether such expenses qualify as legitimate campaign-related activity. Some argue that categorizing psychiatric services as “leadership training” may stretch the boundaries of federal campaign finance rules, which generally prohibit personal use of campaign funds.
Others note that without further detail, it is unclear whether the services were personal, professional, or campaign-oriented.
Ocasio-Cortez has previously spoken publicly about mental health and her own experiences with therapy, particularly following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. She has also supported broader efforts to expand research into alternative treatments, including psychedelics, arguing that emerging data shows potential benefits for certain mental health conditions.
Medical experts remain divided on some of the therapies associated with Boyle’s practice. While studies have shown ketamine can provide rapid relief for treatment-resistant depression in controlled settings, clinicians caution that it carries risks, including dissociation and potential psychological side effects if not properly administered.
