Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Met Gala stunt in a “Tax The Rich” gown backfired spectacularly. Her attempt to flaunt progressive ideals at the elite event landed her in hot water with the House Ethics Committee. The champagne socialist’s night of glamour now comes with a $2,700 bill, as the New York Post reports.
In September 2021, Ocasio-Cortez and her then-boyfriend Riley Roberts attended the Met Gala, a Vogue-hosted charity event, where she wore a custom Brother Vellies dress valued at over $18,000, sparking a three-year ethics probe that found she violated House gift rules and must repay $2,733.28 for the dress and accessories, plus $250 for Roberts’ meal.
Vogue editor Anna Wintour personally invited Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts as her guests, not the Metropolitan Museum’s. The dress, emblazoned with “Tax The Rich” in bold red, was designed by Aurora James, who called Wintour’s demand “insane” since she mainly designs shoes. Ocasio-Cortez’s team paid just $990.76 upfront, a fraction of the $3,724.04 fair-market value.
House rules bar lawmakers from accepting gifts beyond charity event tickets. The Ethics Committee found Ocasio-Cortez’s discounted dress, luxury shoes, jewelry, and handbag crossed that line. Her campaign’s delayed payments to vendors only worsened the optics.
Ocasio-Cortez’s staff haggled over costs, comparing the couture gown to Rent the Runway rentals. “Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s attempt to apply a retail rental cost to a handmade couture gown was unrealistic,” the Ethics Committee quipped. Their lowballing delayed payments for months, and some settled only after legal threats.
A hairstylist waited nearly six months for a $477.73 bill, nearly filing a labor complaint. Vendors noted Met Gala attendees “don’t normally pay for this,” per Ocasio-Cortez’s counsel. Yet her team’s penny-pinching, despite her “limited financial means,” didn’t justify skirting House rules.
The committee’s 26-page report, adopted July 22, found no intentional underpayment by Ocasio-Cortez. But staff errors, including those by ex-campaign manager Rebecca Rodriguez, fueled the mess. Her team’s excuse of financial constraints rings hollow against the backdrop of a $35,000-per-ticket event.
Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, Mike Casca, claimed she “appreciates the Committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules.” Efforts, sure, but results? The committee’s unanimous ruling suggests her compliance fell short of congressional standards.
Roberts’ free ticket, valued at $35,000, raised eyebrows too. The committee ordered Ocasio-Cortez to donate $250 for his meal to the Costume Institute. Accepting such perks while preaching wealth taxes reeks of hypocrisy, undermining her populist brand.
The Office of Congressional Conduct’s 2022 review triggered subpoenas, though some designers opted for voluntary interviews. The three-year probe concluded with no sanctions, provided Ocasio-Cortez pays up. Her team’s claim that vendors didn’t initially seek repayment only muddies the waters further.
Additional expenses, like $5,579 for car service and hotel rooms, were quietly paid in May 2022. These costs, including Roberts’ bowtie, suggest a night of indulgence, not frugality. For a congresswoman preaching equity, the elite spending clashes with her rhetoric.
“No one appeared to be thinking about the cost of anything,” her counsel admitted, despite staff instructions to keep expenses low. This disconnect exposes the gap between Ocasio-Cortez’s public image and her actions. The Met Gala’s glitz was a poor stage for her “Tax The Rich” sermon.
The committee’s ruling requires Ocasio-Cortez to settle $2,733.28 with Brother Vellies for the gown’s fair-market value. Once paid, the matter closes without further penalty. But the damage to her credibility as a working-class champion lingers.
Ocasio-Cortez’s Met Gala appearance was meant to shock the elite, but it only shocked her ethics record. The “Tax The Rich” dress, a bold but hollow gesture, now symbolizes her entanglement in the very privilege she claims to oppose. Progressive ideals don’t excuse rule-breaking.
The saga reveals a broader truth: grandstanding at elite galas rarely aligns with congressional integrity. Ocasio-Cortez’s misstep, while not malicious, underscores the need for consistency in public service. Her repayment may close the case, but the lesson should stick.
