Ethics panel orders AOC to pay additional $3,000 for 2021 Met Gala
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attends the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Sept. 13, 2021. Photo: Ray Tamarra/GC Images
A House Ethics Committee report released Friday found that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) underpaid for costs related to her attendance at the 2021 Met Gala and instructed her to make additional payments.
Why it matters: The committee said it will consider the matter closed once the payments are made, marking the end of a years-long saga triggered by Ocasio-Cortez's headline-making "Tax the Rich" gown.
- In a 26-page report, the bipartisan, 10-member committee said Ocasio-Cortez's "conduct was inconsistent with House Rules, laws, and other standards of conduct."
- "While the Committee did not find that Representative Ocasio-Cortez's violations were knowing and willful, she nonetheless received impermissible gifts and must bear responsibility for the other conduct that occurred with respect to the delays in payment," the report said.
The latest: "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," Mike Casca, Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff, said in a statement.
- "She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process. "
What happened: Ocasio-Cortez's high-profile appearance at the charity event prompted conservative watchdog group American Accountability Foundation to file an ethics complaint against her.
- That complaint led to an investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics — now called the Office of Congressional Conduct.
- The OCE investigation was followed by an probe by the House Ethics Committee, the only body empowered to levy punishments against members of Congress for violating House rules.
What they're saying: The committee, which is made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, determined in its report that Ocasio-Cortez paid under fair market value for clothing and accessories related to her appearance.
- It also determined that her partner, Riley Roberts — who is now her fiancé — was not covered under House rules, which at the time only let spouses and dependent children receive free tickets to charitable events.
- The committee said it will not issue any sanction against Ocasio-Cortez as long as she pays $2,733 to vendors for the additional value of her clothes and donates $250 for Riley's ticket.
Zoom in: The committee acknowledged that Ocasio-Cortez's staff and lawyers attempted to ensure that she complied with ethics rules by directing vendors to "keep costs down."
- However, it argued that these instructions were insufficient and that Ocasio-Cortez's staff should have sought guidance from them about how to avoid any impropriety.
- The report also extensively documents how a former campaign staffer for Ocasio-Cortez allegedly sought to negotiate lower prices without the congresswoman's knowledge, but said that Ocasio-Cortez "bears ultimate responsibility."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
