NEW YORK — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could get a dressing down for the high fashion “Tax the Rich” frock that she wore to the 2021 Met Gala.
Ocasio-Cortez did not pay for the custom-made white Brother Vellies gown — emblazoned with the anti-capitalist slogan in red — until nearly six months later, according to an 18-page House Ethics Committee report published Thursday.
The delay could land her afoul of congressional rules and federal law on elected officials accepting gifts.
Under House rules, representatives may accept free invitations to charity events from sponsors, in this case, Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue. Congress members, however, may not accept gifts from lobbyists, businesses or individuals whose businesses could be regulated or affected by the elected official’s action or inaction.
At the time, the rep said that she hoped to spark controversy by calling for taxes on the wealthy “in front of the very people who lobby against it.”
Ocasio-Cortez did not fork over the $990 for the dress rental until March 2022, well after the congressional probe started, the watchdog office found.
In addition to the gown, Ocasio-Cortez also received a handbag, shoes, jewelry, makeup and transportation to the gala estimated to be worth more than $8,000, the report said. Her partner, Riley Roberts, who accompanied her to the ball, borrowed a bow tie and shoes from the Vellies for the event.
Some of the freebies were covered originally covered by Vogue.
“It appears that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez may not have paid for several thousands of dollars’ worth of goods and services provided to her,” investigators reported.
The report charged that the Met Gala goodies may have gone unpaid without the intervention of the congressional ethics office.
“The Board finds that there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala,” investigators concluded.
In a response to the report, a lawyer for Ocasio-Cortez, David Mitrani, said the lawmaker “finds these delays unacceptable” and has moved to “ensure nothing of this nature will ever happen again.”
“There is no evidence that she ever intended to avoid these expenses,” the lawyer said.
Mitrani argued in his response that the delay in payment did not break House rules of federal law because Ocasio-Cortez “always understood that she had to pay for these expenses personally.”
The House Committee on Ethics will now take up the matter.
“We are confident the Committee on Ethics will dismiss this matter,” Mitrani wrote.
