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