Even when the dress has “Tax the Rich” scrawled on it, the Met Gala is supposed to be the picture of beauty and elegance. An investigation by the Congressional Ethics Office reveals that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s reimbursement for her outfit, hair and makeup at the 2021 event was ugly and awkward. The congresswoman is rightly apologetic and she will have to do better next time.
An 18-page report by researchers at the Congressional Ethics Office, which conducted an initial investigation, found “substantial reason to believe that you accepted any unauthorized gifts associated with your attendance at the Met Gala in 2021.” There were five affirmative votes and none negative by the nonpartisan body, which referred the matter to the House Ethics Committee. In turn, the committee’s bipartisan leadership issued a statement last week stating that “the mere fact of conducting additional review of a referral, and any mandatory disclosure of such additional review, does not in itself indicate that additional review has occurred.” a violation, nor does it reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee.”
That seems fine to me. But the initial investigation did find that substantial costs were not paid in a timely manner: dress rental (initially $1,300, revised downward to $300), jewelry, bag and shoes, hairdo ($477.73), and the makeup ($344.85). , and for transportation ($571.59) and rooms at the Carlyle Hotel ($4,602.32), where it was arranged. They were eventually paid, after ethics investigators questioned what was going on.
While the likes of Donald Trump would attack messengers, Ocasio-Cortez, to her credit, makes no excuses. He describes the delay in payment as “deeply regrettable” and acknowledges that “there was a ball that fell.” She says she followed up with her campaign staff multiple times “about the need to pay for the services they provided,” only to be told they were in a “holding pattern” while they waited for updated documentation.
AOC adequately paid for these costs with personal funds, not the millions it has in your campaign account. In any case, she cannot claim poverty, only inefficiency.
