Ocasio-Cortez Violates House Ethics Over Met Gala Gifts and Expenses

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee for accepting over $3,700 worth of rented clothing and accessories for her appearance at the 2021 Met Gala. The items included a gown emblazoned with “Tax The Rich” and luxury shoes, jewelry, a floral hairpiece, and a handbag, with a total fair-market value of $3,724.04. Although she paid less than $1,000, much of it personally funded, she did not fully comply with gift rules.

The committee noted she improperly received a complimentary trip for her then-boyfriend Riley Roberts to the event, which is a violation of regulations barring acceptance of gifts with some exceptions, such as tickets to charity events attended by guests of Vogue. Wintour personally invited Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts and arranged for a designer from Brother Vellies to craft a custom dress, further complicating the issue.

Additionally, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign initially failed to fully pay vendors, settling only $990.76 after attempts at collection, mostly with her personal funds. Vendors alleged that her staff pressured them to lower costs, and a $477.73 bill for hairstyling went unpaid for nearly half a year, prompting a complaint to the NY Department of Labor.

The investigation, lasting over three years, did not find evidence she intentionally underpaid for services or goods, but did implicate her staff’s conduct. In response, the committee mandated she donate the value of a Met Gala meal to the Costume Institute and pay the remaining fair value of the rented items. The panel unanimously agreed on these findings, and her chief of staff stated she would make the necessary remedies.