Latest news with #GiftRule
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
House Ethics Committee orders AOC to pay nearly $3,000 for Met Gala dress
The House Ethics Committee has directed US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to make additional payments concerning her 2021 Met Gala appearance. The committee's investigation revealed she did not fully adhere to Gift Rule regulations, having accepted free admission for her partner and underpaid for certain outfit items. Although Ocasio-Cortez had paid nearly $1,000 for her ′Tax the Rich′ gown and accessories, the panel assessed their fair market value at over $3,700. She has been advised to pay an extra $2,733.28 and contribute $250 to the Met's Costume Institute for her partner's meal. The committee found no evidence of intentional underpayment by Ocasio-Cortez, and her chief of staff confirmed she accepts the ruling and will settle the remaining amounts.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Ethics report finds AOC ‘impermissibly accepted gifts' related to 2021 Met Gala appearance
The House Ethics Committee found that Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'impermissibly accepted gifts' in connection with her 2021 appearance at the Met Gala, violating a House rule. The House 'gift rule' prohibits lawmakers from knowingly accepting gifts, including favors, discounts, or services, with some exceptions. In a report released Friday, the committee said that Ocasio-Cortez 'proactively took steps to comply' with House rules, including using personal funds to rent apparel that would typically be gifted or loaned to Met Gala attendees. But the report states that, 'despite Representative Ocasio-Cortez's significant attempts, the Committee found that she failed to fully comply with the Gift Rule by impermissibly accepting a gift of free admission to the 2021 Met Gala for her partner and by failing to pay full fair market value for some of the items worn to the event.' The ethics panel said it did not find evidence that Ocasio-Cortez 'intentionally underpaid' for costs related to the event, and that 'in many instances,' she had relied on a campaign staffer to handle discussions of payment and the advice of her counsel to determine the amounts. But the committee said it found evidence suggesting that the designer may have 'lowered costs in response to statements from Representative Ocasio-Cortez's staff, and that payments to vendors were significantly delayed and, in several cases, did not occur' until after the Office of Congressional Conduct began an investigation. The committee called on Ocasio-Cortez to 'make additional payments of personal funds to compensate for the fair market value of certain expenses.' A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez said that the congresswoman intends to 'remedy the remaining amounts.' '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. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process,' her chief of staff Mike Casca said in a statement provided to CNN. The ethics committee also released a separate report related to Rep. Mike Kelly, a Pennsylvania Republican, and allegations that his wife may have bought stock in a steel company based on confidential or nonpublic information he learned in his role as a congressman. The committee said that it reviewed allegations referred by the Office of Congressional Conduct and 'did not find evidence that he knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information.' But the report said that the panel 'did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper.' The report concluded by saying that 'Representative Kelly should ensure that he and Mrs. Kelly divest of all shares of Cleveland-Cliffs before taking any further official action relating to the company.' In a statement, Rep. Kelly said, 'This investigation has unnecessarily lasted for nearly five years. In the years since this investigation began, the Cleveland Cliffs Butler Works plant faced an uncertain future due to the Biden administration's reckless energy policies. Throughout this process, I have fought for the 1,400 workers at the plant, I've spoken with these workers, and they appreciate the hard work we have done to fight for those jobs and for Butler. My family and I look forward to putting this distraction behind us.'
CNN
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
House Ethics report finds AOC ‘impermissibly accepted gifts' related to 2021 Met Gala appearance
The House Ethics Committee found that Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'impermissibly accepted gifts' in connection with her 2021 appearance at the Met Gala, violating a House rule. The House 'gift rule' prohibits lawmakers from knowingly accepting gifts, including favors, discounts, or services, with some exceptions. In a report released Friday, the committee said that Ocasio-Cortez 'proactively took steps to comply' with House rules, including using personal funds to rent apparel that would typically be gifted or loaned to Met Gala attendees. But the report states that, 'despite Representative Ocasio-Cortez's significant attempts, the Committee found that she failed to fully comply with the Gift Rule by impermissibly accepting a gift of free admission to the 2021 Met Gala for her partner and by failing to pay full fair market value for some of the items worn to the event.' The ethics panel said it did not find evidence that Ocasio-Cortez 'intentionally underpaid' for costs related to the event, and that 'in many instances,' she had relied on a campaign staffer to handle discussions of payment and the advice of her counsel to determine the amounts. But the committee said it found evidence suggesting that the designer may have 'lowered costs in response to statements from Representative Ocasio-Cortez's staff, and that payments to vendors were significantly delayed and, in several cases, did not occur' until after the Office of Congressional Conduct began an investigation. The committee called on Ocasio-Cortez to 'make additional payments of personal funds to compensate for the fair market value of certain expenses.' A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez said that the congresswoman intends to 'remedy the remaining amounts.' '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. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process,' her chief of staff Mike Casca said in a statement provided to CNN. The ethics committee also released a separate report related to Rep. Mike Kelly, a Pennsylvania Republican, and allegations that his wife may have bought stock in a steel company based on confidential or nonpublic information he learned in his role as a congressman. The committee said that it reviewed allegations referred by the Office of Congressional Conduct and 'did not find evidence that he knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information.' But the report said that the panel 'did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper.' The report concluded by saying that 'Representative Kelly should ensure that he and Mrs. Kelly divest of all shares of Cleveland-Cliffs before taking any further official action relating to the company.' CNN has reached out to Rep. Kelly's office for comment.
CNN
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
House Ethics report finds AOC ‘impermissibly accepted gifts' related to 2021 Met Gala appearance
The House Ethics Committee found that Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'impermissibly accepted gifts' in connection with her 2021 appearance at the Met Gala, violating a House rule. The House 'gift rule' prohibits lawmakers from knowingly accepting gifts, including favors, discounts, or services, with some exceptions. In a report released Friday, the committee said that Ocasio-Cortez 'proactively took steps to comply' with House rules, including using personal funds to rent apparel that would typically be gifted or loaned to Met Gala attendees. But the report states that, 'despite Representative Ocasio-Cortez's significant attempts, the Committee found that she failed to fully comply with the Gift Rule by impermissibly accepting a gift of free admission to the 2021 Met Gala for her partner and by failing to pay full fair market value for some of the items worn to the event.' The ethics panel said it did not find evidence that Ocasio-Cortez 'intentionally underpaid' for costs related to the event, and that 'in many instances,' she had relied on a campaign staffer to handle discussions of payment and the advice of her counsel to determine the amounts. But the committee said it found evidence suggesting that the designer may have 'lowered costs in response to statements from Representative Ocasio-Cortez's staff, and that payments to vendors were significantly delayed and, in several cases, did not occur' until after the Office of Congressional Conduct began an investigation. The committee called on Ocasio-Cortez to 'make additional payments of personal funds to compensate for the fair market value of certain expenses.' A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez said that the congresswoman intends to 'remedy the remaining amounts.' '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. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process,' her chief of staff Mike Casca said in a statement provided to CNN. The ethics committee also released a separate report related to Rep. Mike Kelly, a Pennsylvania Republican, and allegations that his wife may have bought stock in a steel company based on confidential or nonpublic information he learned in his role as a congressman. The committee said that it reviewed allegations referred by the Office of Congressional Conduct and 'did not find evidence that he knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information.' But the report said that the panel 'did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper.' The report concluded by saying that 'Representative Kelly should ensure that he and Mrs. Kelly divest of all shares of Cleveland-Cliffs before taking any further official action relating to the company.' CNN has reached out to Rep. Kelly's office for comment.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
AOC broke house rules to attend ritzy Met Gala in 'tax the rich' dress, ordered to pay up
New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has found herself in the red, owing thousands of dollars to a Black-owned, female-led accessories brand after breaching the House "Gift Rule." The violation stems from not paying the full market value for items she donned at the 2021 MET Gala, where she famously wore the "Tax the Rich" dress, and accepting free admission to the event for her fiancé, Riley Roberts. Tickets to the Met Gala cost at least $30,000, the Associated Press reported. It is unclear whether Ocasio-Cortez purchased her own ticket. The House Ethics Committee released its report on Friday, finding that although Ocasio-Cortez "proactively took steps" to comply with the Gift Rule in relation to her Met Gala appearance, she failed to fully comply. The committee found evidence suggesting that the designer, Brother Vellies, may have lowered costs in response to statements from Ocasio-Cortez's staff, and that payments to vendors were significantly delayed, according to the report. In several cases, payment did not occur until after the investigation was initiated, the committee noted. The report also concluded that members of AOC's staff were "overly reliant" on the vendors themselves to ensure her compliance with the Gift Rule, despite the vendors' countervailing incentives to ensure she would be able to promote their goods and services. However, the committee said it did not conclude that the alleged underpayments had been "intentional," instead placing the blame on a campaign staffer who handled payment discussions. AOC herself blamed her staff while speaking with investigators in March 2023, saying she did not know of any unpaid expenses related to the dress she had worn and stylists who prepared her for the gala, Fox News Digital previously reported. "I just never, ever, ever would have allowed that to happen, knowing what I have learned," Ocasio-Cortez said at the time. "But I wasn't privy to the invoices, wasn't privy to the ones that had been sent." Based on its findings, the committee determined it would be appropriate for the Democrat to make additional payments from personal funds to compensate for the fair market value of certain expenses. No sanctions will be imposed, so long as she donates the $250 value of Roberts' Met Gala meal to the Costume Institute and pays Brother Vellies an additional $2,733.28 for the fair market value of the accessories she received in connection with the gala. After the committee receives confirmation that the payments were completed, it said it will consider the matter closed. Ocasio-Cortez, the Costume Institute and Brother Vellies did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
