Looks like left-wing firebrand Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez will be paying – literally – for her gaffes at the Met Gala!
The House Ethics Committee has closed its yearslong probe into the New York congresswoman and whether she accepted improper gifts in connection with her attendance at the high-profile event, where she wore a white dress emblazoned with the phrase “Tax the Rich.”
In a 31-page report, the panel said that Ocasio-Cortez had “impermissibly accepted gifts” and said that in order for the matter to be closed, she would need to pay nearly $3,000 in personal funds.
That includes $250 to cover the attendance of her fiancé, Riley Roberts, and an additional $2,733.28 payment to Brother Vellies, the business that designed her dress.
Her chief of staff, Mike Casca, told BI in a statement that she would make those payments.
“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,” Casca said. “She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she’s done at each step in this process.”
The committee said that Ocasio-Cortez had taken proactive steps to comply with House Ethics rules, which include strict guidelines around accepting gifts. She nonetheless fell short, though the committee said it had no evidence that she “intentionally underpaid for any goods or services received in connection with the Met Gala.”
The report said that the congresswoman’s attempts to comply with the gift rules included arranging to rent the dress and accessories that she was provided with and to pay for other services out of pocket, which are usually provided to Met Gala guests for free.
However, the committee said that her fiancé’s attendance was an impermissible gift because he is not yet her spouse, and that she initially failed to pay the full fair market value for some of the items she wore.
According to the report, Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts have already paid a total of $6,853.75 for various services they received that night, including transportation, clothing rental, and rooms at the Carlyle Hotel.
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Author: Joe Gilbertson
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