AOC's 'Tax the Rich' Dress Hits Her with a $3K Bill: The Met Gala Controversy Explained
SCANDAL ROCKS CAPITOL HILL: AOC Ordered to Repay Thousands for Lavish Met Gala Extravaganza
In a bombshell development that's sure to set tongues wagging on Capitol Hill, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been told by the House Ethics Committee to cough up thousands of dollars for her extravagant 2021 Met Gala appearance. The young Democrat and her then-fiancé rubbed shoulders with A-listers at the exclusive event, where she turned heads in a jaw-dropping white and red "Tax the Rich" dress.
But it seems that AOC's team may have gotten a little too comfortable among the fashion elite, because the 26-page report by the Ethics Committee is painting a picture of some serious fiscal shenanigans. The report alleges that Ocasio-Cortez's team underpaid for her Met Gala rentals by a whopping $2,700 - and if she doesn't pay up, the committee could recommend some serious consequences, from fines to formal censure.
According to the report, AOC's team only ponied up $990 for the dress, shoes, jewelry, handbag, floral headpiece, and accessories designed by Brother Vellies. But the fair market rental price of the dress alone was a staggering just under $3,000! And if that wasn't enough, tickets to attend the event that year cost a small fortune - $35,000 each!
The Ethics Committee's report is scathing in its assessment of Ocasio-Cortez's conduct. "While the Committee did not find that Representative Ocasio-Cortez's violations were knowing and willful, she nonetheless received impermissible gifts and must bear responsibility for the other conduct that occurred with respect to the delays in payment," it states.
But here's the thing: AOC's team may have tried to get out of paying the full price by sweet-talking the designers. The report claims that Ocasio-Cortez's staff attempted to "keep costs down" and that the designers agreed - but this raises some serious questions about who was really behind the scenes pulling the strings.
And if you thought things couldn't get any juicier, they just did. The Ethics Committee also discovered that AOC filed her then-fiancé as a spouse on House disclosures - which is a big no-no. But what's even more interesting is that at least one staffer involved in the misfilings has since left Ocasio-Cortez's office.
The investigation into AOC's Met Gala shenanigans is just the latest in a long line of controversies surrounding the progressive "Squad" leader. In 2022, she was ordered to pay back costs for her dress rental and other accessories - but it seems that this time around, the stakes are even higher.
So what happens next? If AOC pays up the $2,733 for the fair market price of her rentals and coughs up an additional $250 for her former partner's ticket, the committee will consider the case closed. But if she doesn't pay the bill, things could get ugly - with fines, formal censure, or even worse.
The House Ethics Committee's 26-page report is a scathing indictment of AOC's team and their lack of transparency when it comes to gifts and payments. It's clear that someone needs to be held accountable for these shenanigans - but will it be Ocasio-Cortez herself?
Only time (and some serious digging) will tell.
Original Report by TheScholarlyNote.com
The House Ethics Committee released a 26-page report into AOC's lavish trip and recommended she pay $3,000. Once she does the probe will be considered finished.
AOC's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Longtime Vogue boss Anna Wintour invited the young Democrat and her then-fiancé as guests to the Met Gala in 2021 and ordered a designer to 'dress AOC for the Met.'
The report found that Ocasio-Cortez's team only paid $300 for the dress, while the fair market rental price was just under $3,000.
Tickets to attend the event that year costed $35,000 each.
'While the Committee did not find that Representative Ocasio-Cortez's violations were knowing and willful, she nonetheless received impermissible gifts and must bear responsibility for the other conduct that occurred with respect to the delays in payment,' the report states.