(RoyalPatriot.com )- For three months now, there has been a lot of mystery surrounding a House Ethics Committee investigation into progressive New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Back in December, the committee – which was then run by Democrats as liberals held the majority in the House – only released a brief announcement saying they were launching an investigation into AOC, the supposed leader of The Squad in the lower chamber.
The only information that the committee provided beyond saying the Office of Congressional Ethics referred the case to them. It wasn’t even known what AOC was accused of actually doing.
There wasn’t any information that came out of Congress since then, though many people speculated that it might have to do with what she chose to wear to the Met Gala in September 2021.
In December, AOC just released a simple statement that said she’s “always taken ethics incredibly seriously, refusing any donations from lobbyists, corporations or other special interests. We are confident that this matter will be dismissed.”
Recently, though, a new report was released by the Office of Congressional Ethics confirmed that the investigation is indeed about what AOC wore to that Met Gala. The white dress that she wore to the event had big letters on the front of it that read “Tax the Rich.”
In the report that the OCE released, they said:
“Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may have accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021. If Rep. Ocasio-Cortez accepted impermissible gifts, then she may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.”
She’s being accused of being given handbags, jewelry and the dress, which was designed by Brother Vellies. The items were valued at thousands of dollars and were given to her by vendors.
While these allegations have been brought against her – with all five members of the committee voting to move forward with the investigation – it’s unlikely that much will actually come of it.
The OCE did suggest that the House Ethics Committee “further review the above allegation concerning Rep. Ocasio-Cortez because there is substantial reason to believe that she accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021.”
The Republican-led House is likely to press this investigation much more than the previous one led by the liberal party, though it’s unlikely she’ll receive a serious punishment – if any at all.
AOC eventually paid for everything that she received to wear at the Met Gala, though she didn’t do so until the OCE began its investigation. The congresswoman received an invite to the event from Anna Wintour, who is the long-time editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine.
She had retained legal counsel, according to the OCE report, to ensure that she was meeting ethical requirements when she attended the event. As the report points out:
“Rep. Ocasio-Cortez told the OCE that a determination was made, in advance of the Met Gala and in conjunction with her team and counsel, that she would be personally paying for the attire and services she received in connection with the Met Gala (as opposed to paying with campaign or official funds.”
