AOC violated several congressional ethics rules after improperly accepting the "Tax The Rich" dress and paying for it late
In a 26-page report, the ten-member panel detailed, "Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s attempt to apply a retail rental cost to a handmade couture gown was unrealistic."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks at a convention of her party.
The House Ethics Committee charged the socialist representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) of violating House ethics rules by accepting more than $3,700 in gifts and rented clothing for her famous 2021 Met Gala appearance but paying less than $1,000 for everything. The far-left politician would have improperly accepted not only a ticket for her boyfriend at the time, Riley Roberts, but also the famous dress with the phrase "Tax The Rich" emblazoned in red. Despite all this, the committee decided not to impose any additional sanctions against Ocasio-Cortez.
In a 26-page report, the ten-member panel detailed, "Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s attempt to apply a retail rental cost to a handmade couture gown was unrealistic," further revealing that "most payments were not made until after repeated attempts at collection from unpaid vendors, threatened legal action, or following the initiation of OCC’s [Office of Congressional Conduct] review."
A lengthy investigation
The committee's investigation, which lasted more than three years, concluded that while it"did not find evidence" that the far-left representative had intentionally underpaid for goods and services, it held several members of her team accountable, including her former campaign manager Rebecca Rodriguez. The report detailed that Rodriguez went so far as to ask a publicist why the initial invoice for the famous dress was $1,300, further explaining that amount was later reduced to just $300.
"“[T]he Committee determined that no sanction was merited, provided Representative Ocasio-Cortez: (1) donates the $250 value of Mr. Roberts’ Met Gala meal to the Costume Institute and (2) pays Brother Vellies an additional $2,733.28 for the fair market value of the goods that she received in connection with her 2021 Met Gala attendance," the report concluded.
In response, Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff, Mike Casca, detailed in a statement, "The Congresswoman appreciates the Committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules and sought to act consistently with her ethical requirements as a Member of the House. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she’s done at each step in this process."
Details on expenses
The report also revealed that representatives of the socialist politician disputed all the costs of the initial invoice and even tried to reduce them, by arguing that other similar dresses on the Rent the Runway website counted for a lower price. Similarly, the committee mentioned that the Brother Vellies bag worn by Ocasio-Cortez during the event was priced at $995, but rented for only $157, while the rented shoes were valued at $635 and rented for only $160.
"The Committee determined that Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s conduct was inconsistent with House Rules, laws, and other standards of conduct with respect to her acceptance of certain goods and services associated with her attendance at the 2021 Met Gala, and her delay in making appropriate payment for their receipt," the report concluded.
LATEST
