Socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may have created a headache for herself in attending this year’s Met Gala event.
Many speculated whether AOC herself ponied up the $30,000-$35,000 per-ticket price tag, which seemed unlikely because it would amount to nearly a fifth of her annual salary. It was later confirmed that she was personally invited by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and got to attend for free.
Both chambers of Congress have restrictions on what kind of gifts can be given to legislators. Generally, a legislator can only accept a gift if it’s unsolicited and for under $50.
And as a result, AOC has since been hit with an ethics complaint.
According to Fox News:
The American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a conservative watchdog group, has filed an ethics complaint against AOC over her attendance at the lavish Met Gala in New York City Monday night.
The AAF’s complaint, obtained by Fox News, asks the Office of Congressional Ethics to “immediately open an investigation” into Ocasio-Cortez and whether she accepted an “impermissible gift” to attend the gala or violated any campaign finance laws.
“Without prompt investigation and enforcement of Congressional Rules, the American people are likely to lose faith in the ability of Congress to police its members,” the complaint says.
The complaint states that since Ocasio-Cortez described her attendance at the Met Gala as part of her official duties, the “receipt of the gift” must fall under either the widely attended event or charity event exemptions as defined by the House rules. The AAF argues that the congresswoman’s invite fails on both exemptions, because the gala was not widely attended and because the invitations are overseen by Conde Nast, a for-profit company.
Political statements were common at the gala, and AOC came wearing a dress with “tax the rich” written on it.
While at the event for the elite, AOC described herself as “working class,” telling a reporter from Vogue: “When Aurora and I were first partnered, we really started having a conversation about what it means to be working class women of color at the Met. We said ‘We can’t just play along but we need to break the fourth wall and challenge some of the institutions.’ The Met is known for its spectacle. We should have a conversation about it.”
The “working class’ Congresswoman’s income puts her in the top 5% of the U.S. income distribution.
Matt Palumbo is the author of The Man Behind the Curtain: Inside the Secret Network of George Soros, Dumb and Dumber: How Cuomo and de Blasio Ruined New York, Debunk This: Shattering Liberal Lies, and Spygate
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