March 3, 2023
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reportedly Violated Ethics Laws During 2021 Met Gala Appearance
This congresswoman may have tried to pull a fast one.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) reportedly violated ethics laws when she appeared at the 2021 Met Gala.
According to Forbes, The House Office of Congressional Ethics believes Ocasio-Cortez “may have accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance” at the 2021 event, per a document released on Thursday.
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“Rep. Ocasio-Cortez received a series of goods and services which she did not pay for until the OCE opened this review,” according to the report. “But for the OCE opening this review, it appears that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez may not have paid for several thousands of dollars’ worth of goods and services provided to her.”
Reportedly, the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics board voted in June to refer the matter to the bipartisan House Committee on Ethics.
A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez said she acknowledged the late payments but was unaware of violating House rules.
“The congresswoman finds these delays unacceptable, and she has taken several steps to ensure nothing of this nature will happen again,” said Communications Director Lauren Hitt in a statement.
“Even after OCE’s exhaustive review of the congresswoman’s personal communications, there is no record of the congresswoman refusing to pay for these expenses,” said Hitt. “To the contrary, there are several explicit, documented communications, from prior to OCE’s review, that show the congresswoman understood that she had to pay for these expenses from her own personal funds—as she ultimately did. We are confident the Ethics Committee will dismiss this matter.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign was threatened by an agency representing the hair stylist, filing a complaint with New York City’s Office of Labor Policy and Standards for Workers and sending a bill to Condé Nast five months after the gala.
Reportedly, designer Brother Vellies billed the campaign $1,300 for the “Tax the Rich” dress Ocasio-Cortez rented to wear to the event. However, a new invoice of $300 was sent after communications between the campaign and Brother Vellies’ representatives. The Brother Vellies team opposed cooperation with the inquiry, resulting in a recommendation that the House Ethics Committee issue subpoenas.