AOC under investigation by House Ethics Committee 

Democratic New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, according to a statement released on Wednesday. 

The eight-member committee did not indicate why AOC is under investigation. However, it is believed to be related to the congresswoman’s attendance at the 2021 Met Gala. AOC accepted a free ticket to the gala, which is seen as an impermissible gift given the $35,000 cost of attendance. 

Ocasio-Cortez said she attended the event in her official capacity as a member of Congress and cited other U.S. representatives that have attended the Met Gala, such as Rep. Carolyn Maloney. 

House rules, however, state that members of congress cannot accept gifts, except under certain exemptions such as widely-attended events or charity functions. 

One complaint was filed against the representative by the Office of Congressional Ethics over her attendance at the gala, claiming that AOC violated those rules since the Met Gala is a private event and is run by the for-profit media company Conde Nast. 

A second ethics complaint was filed by the National Legal Policy Center over the controversial dress worn by AOC to the event, which had “Tax the Rich” written in red on it. Despite the dress being borrowed, the group claims it was an impermissible gift because it was “directly related to AOC’s ‘position with the House’ as a highly visible and controversial Member.”

AOC is wearing a “tax the rich” dress for the 2021 Met Gala where tickets cost $33,000. lol the irony pic.twitter.com/mGUnloRS9c

— Gabor Gurbacs (@gaborgurbacs) September 14, 2021

"The Congresswoman has always taken ethics incredibly seriously, refusing any donations from lobbyists, corporations, or other special interests," AOC spokeswoman Lauren Hitt told Business Insider. "We are confident that this matter will be dismissed."