Outspoken U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is under investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics, chaired by Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA).
Wild released a joint statement with the top-ranking Republican on the committee, Rep. Michael Guest, announcing the inquiry.
The brief statement named Ocasio-Cortez as the subject of the matter. It noted that the requirement to disclose the investigation publicly “does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the committee.”
While the statement did not describe or hint at what the allegations against the New York congresswoman may be, it did reveal that the complaint was received as a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics, which reviews claims of misconduct by members of Congress.
The complaint was initially received on June 23 of this year.
A spokesman for Ocasio-Cortez responded to the announcement by stating, “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.”
Some in the media have speculated that it is possible the complaint originated from a September 2021 complaint by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF).
AAF is a self-identified non-partisan, educational nonprofit that provides “oversight research and fact-checking so Americans can hold their elected leaders accountable.”
Central to AAF’s 2021 complaint was Ocasio-Cortez’s attendance at that year’s Met Gala, an exclusive charitable event supporting the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
While the event was charitable, and members of Congress were allowed to attend, tickets for the closed event allegedly cost $35,000. This figure far exceeds the permissible limit for gifts given to congress members.
Ocasio-Cortez notably wore a white dress that featured “Tax the Rich” emblazoned across the garment in red lettering.
AAF’s complaint asserted that Ocasio-Cortez’s attendance violated congressional ethics law because the charitable event was exclusive and run by a for-profit company.
In response, Ocasio-Cortez argued that she had attended in her official capacity as a member of Congress and pointed to other instances in which her colleagues had previously attended.
The Office of Congressional Ethics similarly opened a recent investigation into Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s (D-NY) solicitation for a ticket to the 2016 Met Gala.
Whatever the catalyst, no action will be taken by the ethics committee against Ocasio-Cortez for now, as Wild and Guest announced that the committee’s course of action on the matter would become clearer after the new Congress begins in the next year.