AOC Violated House Ethics Rules But Won’t Face Sanctions

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been officially found to have violated House ethics rules after accepting over $3,700 in gifts related to her 2021 Met Gala appearance, including her well-known “Tax The Rich” dress — but she paid less than $1,000 for the entire ensemble.

The House Ethics Committee’s investigation concluded AOC failed to follow gift rules and improperly gave her boyfriend, Riley Roberts, a free ticket to the $35,000-per-person event.

Despite finding violations of House laws and standards, the committee decided no formal sanctions were necessary.

The total fair-market value of the rented couture dress, shoes, jewelry, handbag, and hairpiece was $3,724.04. However, AOC’s campaign delayed payments for months and ended up paying just $990.76, mainly from her own funds.

The committee’s report criticized AOC’s staff for disputing vendor invoices and trying to reduce costs by comparing the custom couture gown to cheaper online rentals — a move the panel called “unrealistic.”

Many vendors reportedly had to repeatedly chase payments, with some threatening legal action, prompting subpoenas and a lengthy, over three-year investigation, per the Conservative Brief.

While the panel found no evidence that AOC intentionally underpaid, it blamed her former staff, including ex-campaign manager Rebecca Rodriguez. Rodriguez was caught negotiating the dress rental down from $1,300 to $300 and left a hairstylist bill unpaid for nearly six months — the hairstylist threatened to report the campaign to the New York Department of Labor.

The Ethics Committee will close the matter once AOC donates $250 to cover her boyfriend’s dinner at the gala and pays the remaining $2,733.28 to the designer.

AOC’s chief of staff, Mike Casca, said, “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.” He added that she “accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts.”

Under House rules, members may not accept gifts except for limited exceptions, such as charity event tickets if invited by the host organization. In this case, Vogue editor Anna Wintour personally invited AOC and her boyfriend as Vogue guests — not the museum hosting the gala.

Wintour also asked the Brother Vellies designer to custom-make the dress, which the designer called “insane” since she usually only makes shoes and handbags. Despite instructions to keep costs low, AOC’s team was told, “Met Gala attendees don’t normally pay for this.”

Additional bills received in May 2022 totaled $5,579 and covered car service, hotel rooms, and accessories for Roberts like a bowtie and cummerbund.

The committee never received a clear explanation for why the designer didn’t request upfront payment. AOC’s lawyer noted the Congresswoman’s limited finances and that staff were told to keep costs down.

The Ethics Committee’s decision to not impose sanctions highlights a somewhat lenient resolution despite confirmed ethics violations.

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