Investigation into Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Met Gala attendance continues
Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is still under investigation for her appearance at the 2021 Mat gala, where she made headlines for her white "Tax The Rich" Brother Vellies dress.
On Thursday, the Congressional Ethics Office determined "there are substantial grounds to believe that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accepted ineligible gifts "related to her attendance at the Met Gala.
The members of the ethics committee voted unanimously to extend the investigation.
In a detailed 18-page report on early results, they noted that the MP received a Couture dress, handbag, shoes and jewelry from Brother Vellies, as well as hair, makeup, styling services, transportation and a two-day room rental at the Carlyle Hotel, totaling thousands of dollars. Brother Vellies also provided Ocasio-Cortez's partner Riley Roberts with a pair of shoes and a bow tie, according to the report.
Related GalleriesOcasio-Cortez was among the officials invited to attend the Condé Nast-sponsored Met Gala in the fall from 2021. Her dress was designed by Brother Vellies founder Aurora James, who posed on the red carpet with the Bronx-born lawmaker, who represents New York's 14th Ward. Along with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and some other officials, Ocasio-Cortez was among the officials whose tickets estimated at $35,000 were donated by the museum. This practice has been in place for years and in December, when the OCE investigation was announced, the museum planned to continue doing so, a spokesperson said.
A media request to Ocasio-Cortez's office was not immediately acknowledged Thursday.< /p>
His attorney, David Mitrani of Sandler, Reiff, Lamb, Rosenstein & Birkenstock LLC, sent an e -email to Ethics Committee Staff Director and Chief Counsel Tom Rust, who said, “While no ethics violations were found, the Congressional Ethics Office has identified that there were delays in paying suppliers for costs associated with the MP's attendance at the Met Gala. The congresswoman finds these delays unacceptable and she has taken several steps to ensure that nothing of this nature will ever happen again. »
The statement continued, "However, while regrettable, this matter definitely does not rise to the level a violation of house rules or federal law.Even after the OCE's extensive review of the congresswoman's personal communications, there is no evidence that she ever intended to avoid the expense. On the contrary, the record clearly shows that the congresswoman always understood that she had to pay these expenses personally - and she even worked with the undersigned attorney before the event to ensure that she followed all the rules of the event. applicable ethics. We are confident that the ethics committee will dismiss this case."
As part of the report just released, the council recommended that the commission of ethics issues subpoenas to Aurora James, Brother Vellies and publicist Janna Pea.
The group's findings highlighted how slowly an Ocasio campaign staffer -Cortez was paying a few bills related to his Met Gala appearance.
For example, between January 13, 2022 and February 24, 2022, The Wall Group's collections l team made 'repeated attempts to secure payment' for $344 bill...
Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is still under investigation for her appearance at the 2021 Mat gala, where she made headlines for her white "Tax The Rich" Brother Vellies dress.
On Thursday, the Congressional Ethics Office determined "there are substantial grounds to believe that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accepted ineligible gifts "related to her attendance at the Met Gala.
The members of the ethics committee voted unanimously to extend the investigation.
In a detailed 18-page report on early results, they noted that the MP received a Couture dress, handbag, shoes and jewelry from Brother Vellies, as well as hair, makeup, styling services, transportation and a two-day room rental at the Carlyle Hotel, totaling thousands of dollars. Brother Vellies also provided Ocasio-Cortez's partner Riley Roberts with a pair of shoes and a bow tie, according to the report.
Related GalleriesOcasio-Cortez was among the officials invited to attend the Condé Nast-sponsored Met Gala in the fall from 2021. Her dress was designed by Brother Vellies founder Aurora James, who posed on the red carpet with the Bronx-born lawmaker, who represents New York's 14th Ward. Along with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and some other officials, Ocasio-Cortez was among the officials whose tickets estimated at $35,000 were donated by the museum. This practice has been in place for years and in December, when the OCE investigation was announced, the museum planned to continue doing so, a spokesperson said.
A media request to Ocasio-Cortez's office was not immediately acknowledged Thursday.< /p>
His attorney, David Mitrani of Sandler, Reiff, Lamb, Rosenstein & Birkenstock LLC, sent an e -email to Ethics Committee Staff Director and Chief Counsel Tom Rust, who said, “While no ethics violations were found, the Congressional Ethics Office has identified that there were delays in paying suppliers for costs associated with the MP's attendance at the Met Gala. The congresswoman finds these delays unacceptable and she has taken several steps to ensure that nothing of this nature will ever happen again. »
The statement continued, "However, while regrettable, this matter definitely does not rise to the level a violation of house rules or federal law.Even after the OCE's extensive review of the congresswoman's personal communications, there is no evidence that she ever intended to avoid the expense. On the contrary, the record clearly shows that the congresswoman always understood that she had to pay these expenses personally - and she even worked with the undersigned attorney before the event to ensure that she followed all the rules of the event. applicable ethics. We are confident that the ethics committee will dismiss this case."
As part of the report just released, the council recommended that the commission of ethics issues subpoenas to Aurora James, Brother Vellies and publicist Janna Pea.
The group's findings highlighted how slowly an Ocasio campaign staffer -Cortez was paying a few bills related to his Met Gala appearance.
For example, between January 13, 2022 and February 24, 2022, The Wall Group's collections l team made 'repeated attempts to secure payment' for $344 bill...
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