From the Washington Examiner: A House Ethics Committee investigation found Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) acted “inconsistent with House Rules, laws, and other standards of conduct” in relation to her 2021 Met Gala appearance and asked her to pay more than $2,700.
In a report released Friday, the committee determined that there was no evidence Ocasio-Cortez intentionally underpaid for “any goods and services” related to her appearance, for which she famously wore a dress that said, “Tax the Rich.” However, the committee determined that it is “appropriate” for her to compensate for the “fair market value of certain expenses.”
“In many instances, the congresswoman relied on the advice of counsel in determining appropriate payment amounts, and most discussions about payment were handled through a campaign staffer,” the committee wrote in its report released Friday. “However, the Committee did find evidence suggesting that the designer may have lowered costs in response to statements from Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s staff, and that payments to vendors were significantly delayed and, in several cases, did not occur until after OCC initiated its investigation.”
The committee said Ocasio-Cortez should make additional payments “of personal funds” to compensate for the underpayment of services worth $2,733.28 that she received in connection with her attendance at the 2021 Met Gala.
The committee also ruled that AOC’s partner, Riley Roberts, who she is now engaged to, should not have been allowed free admission into the event, as House rules at the time only permitted spouses and dependent children to receive free tickets to charitable events.
Ocasio-Cortez had sent a letter on May 16, arguing that since she had been dating her now-fiance Riley Roberts since 2014, and living with him since 2016, and he is the person she has chosen to spend her life with, he should be considered a spouse.
She claimed that the OCE Board had opted to treat a longtime significant other as a spouse, so the Ethics Committee should do the same.
Excerpt from a letter from AOC’s counsel to the House Ethics Committee chief counsel dated May 16, 2025:https://t.co/NH1zaixkcj pic.twitter.com/NtKv2WEm6d
— Ryan Radia (@RyanRadia) July 25, 2025
AOC has reportedly agreed to pay the fine.
AOC chief of staff Mike Casca on the House Ethics Committee report: “She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she’s done at each step in this process.”@Axios https://t.co/h8n6z8x7Db
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) July 25, 2025
NEW: The fair-market value of AOC’s glamorous getup for the 2021 Met gala amounted to $3,724.04, per House Ethics Committee report released Friday.
Her campaign stiffed the vendors and only paid $990.76, while giving her then-beau Riley Roberts free admission. pic.twitter.com/3WB8MiduS9
— Josh Christenson (@jchristenson_) July 25, 2025
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) should pay $2,733.28 for “impermissible gifts” related to her controversial attendance at the 2021 Met Gala, the House Ethics Committee decided in a 26-page report released Friday. https://t.co/1kEZ6BWgin
— Bloomberg Government (@BGOV) July 25, 2025
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