WASHINGTON — Far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez flouted House ethics rules by accepting more than $3,700 in rented apparel and other gifts for her notorious appearance at the 2021 Met Gala — including a glitzy gown emblazoned with “Tax The Rich” in blood-red letters and a free ticket for her then-boyfriend Riley Roberts — but paying less than $1,000 for the goodies.
The House Ethics Committee faulted the Bronx and Queens “Squad” member for not complying with its regulation on gifts and improperly giving Roberts a free ride to the $35,000-per-ticket annual charity event put on by Vogue grande dame Anna Wintour — but said it wouldn’t sanction her further.
Fair-market value to rent the Brother Vellies couture dress designed by Aurora James — as well as luxury shoes, jewelry, a floral hairpiece, and a handbag — amounted to $3,724.04.
Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign initially stiffed some vendors on the payments, and the congresswoman ultimately only forked over $990.76, the committee found. The bulk of that amount was paid with personal funds.
“In fact, 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,” the 26-page report stated.
The more-than-three-year investigation “did not find evidence” that Ocasio-Cortez intentionally underpaid for any goods or services” — but placed some blame on members of her staff.
Vendors also claimed that AOC’s aides badgered them into lowering some of their costs for the finery.
One $477.73 bill to a hairstylist went unpaid for almost half a year, leading the coiffeuse “to file a complaint with the NY Dept of Labor against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress.”
“[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 Ethics panel unanimously voted to adopt the report’s findings in a closed-door session Tuesday.
“In light of this, the 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.”
Mike Casca, AOC’s chief of staff, said 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.”
House rules bar lawmakers from accepting gifts, with tickets to “charity” balls or “widely-attended” events for oneself and a spouse or child among the exceptions.
However, Wintour personally invited Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts to the soiree “as guests of Vogue” and directed a designer at Brother Vellies “to make a dress from scratch” for the occasion, putting the lawmaker in the crosshairs of the ethics committee.
In January 2021, with the gala just four months away, the designer claimed the demand by Wintour was “insane” because the designer fashioned shoes or handbags and “do[es]n’t make clothes.”
