The House Ethics Committee has confirmed it’s been investigating New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) for the past six months. No reason for the probe has been disclosed yet, though there is rampant speculation that the investigation ties back to the Congresswoman’s 2021 Met Gala appearance.
In its statement, the Committee pointed out that the investigation “does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.” The probe is set to extend into 2023 and further steps will be announced in the next Congress. A spokesperson for AOC released a statement that read: “The congresswoman has always taken ethics incredibly seriously, refusing any donations from lobbyists, corporations, or other special interests. We are confident that this matter will be dismissed.”
Last year, the Conservative American Accountability Foundation filed a complaint against Ocasio-Cortez for “accepting an impermissible gift to attend the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala.” The Congresswoman attended the gala wearing a dress emblazoned with the words “Tax the Rich,” which made waves considering the Met Gala is basically a showcase for the mega-rich. But at the time a spokesperson for The Met confirmed AOC “was invited as a guest of The Met. She also did not get to keep the dress.”
Though it has not been confirmed the investigation has anything to do with this particular incident, it would fit the timeline put forth by the Committee. And though it is hard to make any judgments without enough information, it is notable that AOC has been under investigation for a matter that, in the grand scheme of all the issues the previous administration has had to contend with, doesn’t even register.
Yes, we should expect Congress to hold politicians on both sides of the political aisle accountable for their mistakes. We’d just hope they’d focus on the bigger issues first. Mainly insurrection-invoking ones.
