Ocasio-Cortez is one of the most radical Leftists in Congress. So it’s not surprising that controversy seems to surround her.
And AOC was caught in a brutal lie that could send her career spiraling.
AOC’s Met Gala Misstep: Ethics Probe Uncovers Improper Perks
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has found herself under fire following a House Ethics Committee investigation into her attendance at the glitzy 2021 Met Gala. The committee’s July 25 report revealed that Ocasio-Cortez wrongly claimed spousal privileges to secure a $250 ticket for her then-boyfriend, Riley Roberts, and accepted nearly $3,000 in high-end fashion items, including her headline-making “Tax the Rich” dress. She’s now been ordered to repay the ticket cost and the value of the gifted attire.
The controversy centers on Ocasio-Cortez’s assertion that Roberts, her partner since 2016, qualified as a “spouse” for the exclusive event, which carries a jaw-dropping $35,000 per-person price tag.
Her attorney told the ethics panel in May that Roberts “is considered a ‘spouse,’” a claim made during a three-year probe into the congresswoman’s acceptance of luxury goods, including a Brother Vellies gown designed by Aurora James, shoes, jewelry, and a floral hairpiece. However, Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts weren’t engaged until 2022, a year after the gala, and they remain unmarried.
House rules bar lawmakers from accepting gifts, except for tickets to “charity” events or “widely-attended” gatherings that are for themselves, their children or their spouses.
An initial review by the Office of Congressional Ethics called the move “permissible,” noting that Ocasio-Cortez “opted to treat a long-term significant other as synonymous with a spouse,” which was “[c]onsistent with prior decision.”
The House Ethics Committee, however, unanimously rejected this, stating it was “not based on any law or precedent then in existence,” as spousal privileges are reserved for legally married couples.
The committee’s 26-page report also flagged discrepancies in Ocasio-Cortez’s financial disclosures. While claiming Roberts as a spouse for the Met Gala ticket, she failed to report his financial interests, a requirement for married members’ spouses.
She also listed Roberts as her “spouse” on paperwork for privately sponsored travel, despite their unmarried status. Her lawyer later “acknowledged” that Roberts was not a “relative” under applicable rules, yet the ticket remained unpaid until the committee stepped in.
Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, Mike Casca, defended her actions, saying, “The Congresswoman appreciates the Committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules and sought to act consistently with her ethical requirements as a Member of the House.”
To settle the matter, she agreed to donate the $250 ticket cost to the gala’s charity and pay $2,733.28 for the rental value of her “Tax the Rich” outfit, valued at $3,724.04 total, though the dress alone retails for over $18,000.
Adding to the drama, a campaign staffer reportedly haggled with vendors, pushing to lower the dress’s price from $1,300 to $300, ultimately paying $990.76 after months of delays and threats of a New York State Department of Labor referral.
Casca affirmed that Ocasio-Cortez “accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she’s done at each step in this process.”
The ethics scrutiny comes as Ocasio-Cortez champions a bill to ban stock trading by lawmakers’ spouses, though Roberts would be exempt due to their unmarried status.
Meanwhile, The Washington Free Beacon noted that she hasn’t worn her $3,057.04 engagement ring since at least November 2023, fueling speculation about their relationship, which began in 2016 and led to a 2022 proposal.
Ocasio-Cortez’s Met Gala moment, meant to spotlight wealth inequality, has instead created a debate about ethics and privilege, casting a shadow over her carefully crafted public image.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
