AOC's Campaign Funds Used for Controversial Ketamine Therapy Sessions
Federal Election Commission records have revealed that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, allocated nearly $19,000 in campaign funds last year to a psychiatrist who specializes in ketamine therapy, a treatment often deemed controversial. The payments were made to Dr. Brian Boyle, a Boston-based interventional psychiatrist, with the expenses categorized under "leadership training and consulting."
Details of the Financial Transactions
According to reports from The New York Post, Ocasio-Cortez's campaign disbursed a total of $18,725 to Dr. Boyle over several months in 2025. The breakdown includes $11,550 in March, $2,800 in May, and $4,375 in October. Dr. Boyle serves as the chief psychiatric officer at Stella, a chain of mental health clinics known for offering novel therapies that have gained popularity among affluent circles, including Hollywood and Wall Street elites.
Dr. Brian Boyle's Expertise and Methods
Dr. Boyle, who trained at Harvard, describes himself as an "interventional psychiatrist" and focuses on unorthodox treatments for conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety. He is recognized as a leading authority on ketamine, a substance sometimes referred to as a controversial horse tranquilizer. Notably, ketamine was administered to "Friends" star Matthew Perry in the weeks preceding his untimely death, adding to the debate surrounding its use.
In a podcast appearance last year, Dr. Boyle expressed enthusiasm for his work, stating, "I just saw the incredible power of what these treatments could do. It's a ton of fun helping patients get better." His clinic also provides other high-end treatments, such as stellate ganglion block, an anesthetic injection into the neck to mitigate the body's fight-or-flight response. This procedure has been praised by billionaires like Bob Parsons, who credited it with alleviating his PTSD from the Vietnam War.
Ocasio-Cortez's Advocacy for Psychedelic Therapies
This expenditure aligns with Ocasio-Cortez's longstanding advocacy for the therapeutic use of hallucinogenic drugs. As a member of the "Squad," she has campaigned to end federal marijuana prohibition and has introduced legislation multiple times to facilitate research on psychedelics like magic mushrooms. In 2019, as a freshman congresswoman, she proposed an amendment to allow federal funding for studying psilocybin, ecstasy, and other drugs for mental health treatment, citing "promising" early research.
She emphasized this stance in a tweet, asserting, "It's well past time we take drug use out of criminal consideration and into medical consideration." Although her initial attempts in 2019 and 2021 were rejected, including by fellow Democrats, she succeeded on her third try in 2023 by co-sponsoring a similar bill that was signed into law.
Broader Implications and Public Reaction
The use of campaign funds for such purposes has sparked discussions about the boundaries of political spending and the integration of alternative mental health treatments into mainstream discourse. Critics may question the appropriateness of labeling psychiatric services as leadership training, while supporters might view it as a progressive step toward destigmatizing mental health care.
Dr. Boyle has noted that celebrities and high-net-worth individuals often seek out cutting-edge solutions for health and wellness, stating in an interview, "Celebrities tend to be more inclined to be on the hunt for highly effective solutions across beauty, health, mental health, nutrition and so on." This context highlights the growing trend of elite access to specialized therapies, which Ocasio-Cortez's actions bring into the political spotlight.
