Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems to be in trouble with members of her own Democratic Party, and it looks like she put herself there.
The New York man who calls himself a Democratic socialist is being looked into by the House Ethics Committee, according to news reports from Wednesday.
“Pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(A), and Committee Rules 17A(b)(1)(A), 17A(c)(1), and 17A(j), the Acting Chairwoman and Acting Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics have decided to extend the matter about Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which was sent to the Committee by the Office of Congressional Ethics on June 23, 2022,” a press release from the committee said.
“The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, as well as the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not indicate that a violation has happened or reflect a judgment by the Committee,” the press release said.
“After the 118th Congress holds its organizational meeting and votes on the Committee Rules, the Committee will say what it will do about this issue,” it said.
It’s important to remember that the new Republican majority will take over in early January, and that includes a majority of the Ethics Committee.
The Washington Examiner gives more information about possible ethics violations in the House:
Last year, an ethics watchdog called for a review of Ocasio-attendance Cortez’s at the Met Gala, where she famously caused a stir by wearing a dress that said “Tax the Rich.” The watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, pointed out that House Rule 25 limited the kinds of gifts that members of Congress could receive.
FACT asked the House Committee on Ethics to look into it, but it’s not clear if the Met Gala scandal has anything to do with the investigation that came out on Wednesday. Other members of the New York delegation, like outgoing Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), seem to have gotten into similar trouble over the Met Gala.
FACT kept bringing up reports that Ocasio-Cortez was given tickets worth around $35,000 each and that she “borrowed” a designer dress to go to the event.
“The rule about gifts for members of Congress is clear and there’s a good reason for it. Members can’t take anything of value that isn’t on the short list of things that are allowed. This is the most important rule of ethics, and it serves many important purposes,” said Kendra Arnold, the Executive Director of FACT.