Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic congresswoman known as AOC, is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. The reasons aren’t known, but the probe follows a complaint from a conservative association over the Pasionaria face of the new liberal generation attending last year’s Met Gala wearing the “Tax the Rich” dress that caused a stir.
“The mere fact” of the investigation’s disclosure of the suspect’s name “does not indicate that violations took place,” the House Ethics Committee said, noting that the investigation follows the Office of Congressional Ethics’ June 23 report . Ocasio-Cortez “has always taken ethics very seriously and has turned down donations from lobbyists, corporations and special interests,” the congresswoman’s spokeswoman says. Rumor has it that the investigation would begin with the American Accountability Foundation’s complaint that she “accepted the unacceptable gift” of attending the Met Gala in a dress that was only offered to her for the role she is taking on.
The reference is to the 2021 Fashion Oscars event, which as usual is being organized by Anna Wintour, the director of Vogue. A super exclusive date, with a detailed guest list and a cost of $35,000 per ticket. Aoc and her boyfriend attended the Met Gala at the invitation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as she said at the time to nip any controversy in the bud. On the red carpet, the congresswoman from the Bronx, who is of Puerto Rican descent, walked the runway in an all-white silk and tulle gown with “Taxing the rich” written in blood red on the back. A dress she immediately returned to fashion house Brother Vellies after the event, where she sat next to Wintour, the evening’s godmother. Nevertheless, her participation in the glamor event of the year caused a stir, also because – according to the critics – she was associated with the elite that struggles every day and wants to downsize because they are too rich.
House Rules prohibit MPs from accepting gifts, with certain exceptions for large public and charity events. And Ocasio-Cortez would have violated them with the Met Gala, an event organized by Conde Nast, for which he received expensive tickets. Critics seem to ignore the fact that many politicians from New York, the city that voted for the AOC, are often invited to the meeting of the year. Ocasio-Cortez himself was invited for the first time in 2019 after the surprising victory over outgoing deputy Joe Crowley.
REPRODUCTION RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
]]>
Get the embed code
]]>