New York’s Democratic congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, responded to news that members of Congress are investigating charges against her on Wednesday night by saying that she takes ethics “very seriously.”
After Ocasio-office Cortez’s stated, “The Congresswoman has always taken ethics incredibly seriously, refusing any gifts from lobbyists, companies, or other special interests,” we assumed the topic would quiet down.
Ocasio-Cortez has been the subject of the House Ethics Committee investigation since the summer.
After receiving a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics on June 22, 2022, the Committee on Ethics announced that “the Acting Chairwoman and Acting Ranking Member have mutually agreed to prolong the case surrounding Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.”
A referral or extension, along with the disclosure of that extension and the name of the subject matter, is not evidence of wrongdoing or a reflection of the Committee’sCommittee’s opinion on the topic, according to the official statement.
Investigative work into Ocasio-Cortez is currently underway, but the Committee has yet to make public any of its findings.
Two members of the public, who wish to remain nameless, are said to have expressed their disapproval of Cortez and Ocasio’s attendance at the Met Gala.
Free tickets to the show were offered to Ocasio-Cortez, and some people think that’s a violation of office policy. The official grievance was lodged against her (which would be acceptable if it were a charity event). As reported by the Post, some in attendance felt Ocasio-Cortez shouldn’t have been invited because “a for-profit corporation oversees invites” and “tables at the event are similarly sponsored by corporate groups.”
For her part, AOC has been criticized for wearing a dress that read “Tax Cortez’s the Rich” because it “directly related to AOC’s ‘position with the House’ as an obvious and controversial Member.”
In what appeared to be a borrowed dress, Ocasio-Cortez said that the only present she had received in 2021 was an engagement ring from her ex-boyfriend Riley Roberts.
The report claims an investigation is underway to determine if outgoing Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) broke any ethics rules by asking for an invitation to the event.
For the sake of argument, let’s imagine that Carolyn Maloney, a member of Congress, is being questioned about her acceptance of a free $30,000 gala ticket. Paul Kamenar, an attorney with the National Legal and Policy Center, has outlined the circumstances under which AOC warrants heightened scrutiny.