Latest news with #HouseEthicsCommittee
The Independent
05-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
AOC hit with ethics violation after saying fiancé both is and isn't her ‘spouse' in government filings
Republicans on the House Ethics Committee have reprimanded New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she reportedly said in government filings that her fiancé, Riley Roberts, both is and isn't her 'spouse.' In its July 2025 report, the ethics committee criticized Ocasio-Cortez for listing Roberts as her 'spouse' on federal documents that she filed before attending the 2021 Met Gala. Roberts and Ocasio-Cortez are not yet legally married. 'The Committee also found evidence that Representative Ocasio-Cortez listed Mr. Roberts as her 'spouse' on paperwork filed with the House relating to privately sponsored travel, although the two were not legally married at the time of the gifted travel,' the report states. Similarly, the ethics panel stated that Roberts was listed as a spouse on the documents to attend the gala, but that he wasn't listed as a spouse in Ocasio-Cortez's financial filings, The Daily Mail noted. If he had been listed as a spouse, he would have been forced to disclose stock and other financial holdings. 'The Committee further notes that at the same time Representative Ocasio-Cortez was seeking to take advantage of exceptions to the Gift Rule only applicable to spouses and/or certain relatives, she was not disclosing Mr. Roberts's financial interests as is required of Members who are legally married,' the report adds. Last month, Ocasio-Cortez was ordered to pay back thousands of dollars after the ethics panel determined that she had not been paying market rates in connection with her appearance at the Met Gala in 2021. The panel found that the 35-year-old had underpaid for her dress, which said 'tax the rich' across the back, as well as for jewelry and accessories. In the July 2025 report, the committee states the investigation will be closed after Ocasio-Cortez has paid another $2,700 to vendors for clothing and accessories. The panel said the congresswoman has been cooperating with the investigation. The committee also criticized that Met Gala organizer and Vogue editor Anna Wintour personally invited Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts to the event. Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts met while they were both studying at Boston University and have been engaged since April 2022, The Mail noted. A lawyer for Ocasio-Cortez, David Mitrani, argued in the filings that Roberts is not subject to the financial disclosure rules as he's 'not considered a spouse.' The committee states that Roberts still enjoyed some of the benefits of being a spouse, such as receiving a spouse's congressional pin, which allowed him to access certain restricted parts of the congressional complex. 'Mr. Roberts and the Congresswoman have been together since 2014, and have lived together since 2016,' the committee states. 'Mr. Roberts has had a spouse pin since the Congresswoman entered Congress in 2019.' 'It is clear that the term 'spouse' – as utilized in this former rule and as seemingly accepted by the Committee by expanding 'spouse or dependent' to any guest – was intended to allow a Member of Congress to bring the individual that they've decided to share their lives with to a charity event, regardless of whether they had taken steps to bring the law or religion into their relationship,' it adds.
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House ethics panel tells AOC to make more payments over her Met Gala ‘Tax the Rich' outfit
The House Ethics Committee has told Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, to make more payments over her Met Gala 'Tax the Rich' outfit. While the Met Gala is always an eye-catching affair, in September 2021, Ocasio-Cortez stunned onlookers with a Brother Vellies custom white mermaid gown that had the words 'Tax the Rich' written in red on the back. At the time, the congresswoman explained on Instagram she wanted to bring attention to the idea of raising taxes for the wealthiest Americans by doing so 'in front of the very people who lobby against it,' per the Daily News. The event cost $35,000 per person at that time, The New York Times reported. For years, the ethics panel has been investigating Ocasio-Cortez's attendance at the 2021 Met Gala, and now it says she must make additional payments worth nearly $3,000 in relation to the event. The panel released a report Friday stating the estimated rental cost the congresswoman had paid for the dress and some of her accessories in 2022 was below fair market value. '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 [Riley Roberts] and by failing to pay full fair market value for some of the items worn to the event,' the report read. But the panel did not find evidence Ocasio-Cortez 'intentionally underpaid for any goods or services' related to the gala. 'In many instances, the congresswoman relied on the advice of counsel in determining appropriate payment amounts, and most discussions about payment were handled through a campaign staffer,' the report read. Ocasio-Cortez previously paid just shy of $1,000 for her Met Gala outfit, but the panel found its fair market value to be worth more than $3,700. The panel said the congresswoman did make 'significant steps' to comply with House gift rules and advised her to pay an additional $2,733.28 to settle the matter. The congresswoman was also advised to donate $250 to the Met's Costume Institute for the cost of Roberts' meal at the 2021 gala. Mike Casca, Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff, said in a statement obtained by The Hill, '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,' Casca added. The Independent has reached out to the congresswoman's office for comment. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans slap AOC with a fresh ethics violation — over whether or not fiance Riley Roberts is her ‘spouse'
Republicans on the House Ethics Committee have reprimanded New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she reportedly said in government filings that her fiancé, Riley Roberts, both is and isn't her 'spouse.' In its July 2025 report, the ethics committee criticized Ocasio-Cortez for listing Roberts as her 'spouse' on federal documents that she filed before attending the 2021 Met Gala. Roberts and Ocasio-Cortez are not yet legally married. 'The Committee also found evidence that Representative Ocasio-Cortez listed Mr. Roberts as her 'spouse' on paperwork filed with the House relating to privately sponsored travel, although the two were not legally married at the time of the gifted travel,' the report states. Similarly, the ethics panel stated that Roberts was listed as a spouse on the documents to attend the gala, but that he wasn't listed as a spouse in Ocasio-Cortez's financial filings, The Daily Mail noted. If he had been listed as a spouse, he would have been forced to disclose stock and other financial holdings. 'The Committee further notes that at the same time Representative Ocasio-Cortez was seeking to take advantage of exceptions to the Gift Rule only applicable to spouses and/or certain relatives, she was not disclosing Mr. Roberts's financial interests as is required of Members who are legally married,' the report adds. Last month, Ocasio-Cortez was ordered to pay back thousands of dollars after the ethics panel determined that she had not been paying market rates in connection with her appearance at the Met Gala in 2021. The panel found that the 35-year-old had underpaid for her dress, which said 'tax the rich' across the back, as well as for jewelry and accessories. In the July 2025 report, the committee states the investigation will be closed after Ocasio-Cortez has paid another $2,700 to vendors for clothing and accessories. The panel said the congresswoman has been cooperating with the investigation. The committee also criticized that Met Gala organizer and Vogue editor Anna Wintour personally invited Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts to the event. Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts met while they were both studying at Boston University and have been engaged since April 2022, The Mail noted. A lawyer for Ocasio-Cortez, David Mitrani, argued in the filings that Roberts is not subject to the financial disclosure rules as he's 'not considered a spouse.' The committee states that Roberts still enjoyed some of the benefits of being a spouse, such as receiving a spouse's congressional pin, which allowed him to access certain restricted parts of the congressional complex. 'Mr. Roberts and the Congresswoman have been together since 2014, and have lived together since 2016,' the committee states. 'Mr. Roberts has had a spouse pin since the Congresswoman entered Congress in 2019.' 'It is clear that the term 'spouse' – as utilized in this former rule and as seemingly accepted by the Committee by expanding 'spouse or dependent' to any guest – was intended to allow a Member of Congress to bring the individual that they've decided to share their lives with to a charity event, regardless of whether they had taken steps to bring the law or religion into their relationship,' it adds.
New York Post
04-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
AOC scored then-boyfriend free $250 ticket to Met Gala by calling him her ‘spouse'
WASHINGTON — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) falsely claimed spousal privileges to snag her then-boyfriend Riley Roberts a free ticket to the swanky 2021 Met Gala, according to the House Ethics Committee, which ordered her to repay the $250 perk on top of the $3,000 she received in gifts. Roberts scored the freebie, worth $250, because he 'is considered a 'spouse,'' Ocasio-Cortez's attorney claimed to the ethics panel in May as part of the more than three-year investigation into the congresswoman for improperly accepting nearly $3,000 in hair accessories, shoes and her infamous 'Tax the Rich' dress. She and Roberts got engaged in 2022 — a year after the haute affair, which costs $35,000 per person. Advertisement House rules prohibit lawmakers from accepting gifts, the panel's July 25 report noted, with an exception for tickets to 'charity' balls or 'widely-attended' events for themselves, spouses or their children. 5 Roberts scored the $250 freebie because he 'is considered a 'spouse,'' Ocasio-Cortez's attorney claimed to the ethics panel as part of a more than three-year investigation into improperly accepting nearly $3,000 in gifts for the shindig. Jose Perez / A preliminary probe by the Office of Congressional that preceded the House Ethics inquiry deemed the move 'permissible' because the Bronx and Queens Democrat 'opted to treat a long-term significant other as synonymous with a spouse' which was '[c]onsistent with prior decision.' Advertisement But House Ethics said in a unanimous decision that it was 'not based on any law or precedent then in existence,' since the spousal privileges only apply to members who are legally married. The 26-page report also found that at the same time AOC 'was seeking to take advantage of exceptions to the Gift Rule only applicable to spouses and/or certain relatives, she was not disclosing Mr. Roberts's financial interests as is required of Members who are legally married.' 5 Members are required to list their spouses' assets and liabilities as part of financial disclosure forms filed annually in the House. Members are required to list their spouses' assets and liabilities as part of financial disclosure forms filed annually in the House. Advertisement The far-left rep has co-sponsored a bill this Congress that would also ban stock trades for spouses, though Roberts would have a carveout given their relationship status if the legislation passes. Additionally, Ocasio-Cortez had 'listed Mr. Roberts as her 'spouse' on paperwork filed with the House relating to privately sponsored travel, although the two were not legally married at the time of the gifted travel,' the report added. 5 Ocasio-Cortez agreed to cough up another $2,733.28 for the fair-market value to rent her infamous 'Tax the Rich' Brother Vellies couture dress designed by Aurora James as well as other luxury items such as a floral hairpiece. Koren, Michael The ethics committee stated that the congresswoman's lawyer 'acknowledged' that 'Roberts was not a 'relative' under the applicable regulations' but failed to foot the bill. Advertisement '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,' said Mike Casca, AOC's chief of staff, following the report's release. In coordination with the committee, she agreed to donate Roberts' $250 ticket price to the charity that puts on the gala and cough up another $2,733.28 for the fair-market value to rent her infamous 'Tax the Rich' Brother Vellies couture dress designed by Aurora James as well as luxury shoes, jewelry, a floral hairpiece, and a handbag. 5 One of AOC's campaign staffers stiffed the vendors and pressured them to knock down the price of the dress from around $1,300 to $300. Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock One of her campaign staffers stiffed the vendors — and pressured them to knock down the price of the dress from around $1,300 to $300 — eventually shelling out $990.76 for the attire after being bugged for months and threatened with a New York State Department of Labor referral. The committee valued the glamorous getup at $3,724.04 in total, including the gown which has a retail price tag of more than $18,000. 'She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process,' Casca said in his statement. 5 The couple have been together since 2016, but Roberts hasn't yet tied the knot even after proposing three years ago. Jose Perez / The couple has been together since 2016, but Roberts hasn't yet tied the knot even after proposing three years ago. Advertisement She hasn't been seen wearing the $3,057.04 ring he gave her since at least November 2023, according to The Washington Free Beacon, which first reported on the ethics lapses. A spokeswoman for Ocasio-Cortez's congressional office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Independent
04-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Republicans slap AOC with a fresh ethics violation — over whether or not fiance Riley Roberts is her ‘spouse'
Republicans on the House Ethics Committee have reprimanded New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she reportedly said in government filings that her fiancé, Riley Roberts, both is and isn't her 'spouse.' In its July 2025 report, the ethics committee criticized Ocasio-Cortez for listing Roberts as her 'spouse' on federal documents that she filed before attending the 2021 Met Gala. Roberts and Ocasio-Cortez are not yet legally married. 'The Committee also found evidence that Representative Ocasio-Cortez listed Mr. Roberts as her 'spouse' on paperwork filed with the House relating to privately sponsored travel, although the two were not legally married at the time of the gifted travel,' the report states. Similarly, the ethics panel stated that Roberts was listed as a spouse on the documents to attend the gala, but that he wasn't listed as a spouse in Ocasio-Cortez's financial filings, The Daily Mail noted. If he had been listed as a spouse, he would have been forced to disclose stock and other financial holdings. 'The Committee further notes that at the same time Representative Ocasio-Cortez was seeking to take advantage of exceptions to the Gift Rule only applicable to spouses and/or certain relatives, she was not disclosing Mr. Roberts's financial interests as is required of Members who are legally married,' the report adds. Last month, Ocasio-Cortez was ordered to pay back thousands of dollars after the ethics panel determined that she had not been paying market rates in connection with her appearance at the Met Gala in 2021. The panel found that the 35-year-old had underpaid for her dress, which said 'tax the rich' across the back, as well as for jewelry and accessories. In the July 2025 report, the committee states the investigation will be closed after Ocasio-Cortez has paid another $2,700 to vendors for clothing and accessories. The panel said the congresswoman has been cooperating with the investigation. The committee also criticized that Met Gala organizer and Vogue editor Anna Wintour personally invited Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts to the event. Ocasio-Cortez and Roberts met while they were both studying at Boston University and have been engaged since April 2022, The Mail noted. A lawyer for Ocasio-Cortez, David Mitrani, argued in the filings that Roberts is not subject to the financial disclosure rules as he's 'not considered a spouse.' The committee states that Roberts still enjoyed some of the benefits of being a spouse, such as receiving a spouse's congressional pin, which allowed him to access certain restricted parts of the congressional complex. 'Mr. Roberts and the Congresswoman have been together since 2014, and have lived together since 2016,' the committee states. 'Mr. Roberts has had a spouse pin since the Congresswoman entered Congress in 2019.' 'It is clear that the term 'spouse' – as utilized in this former rule and as seemingly accepted by the Committee by expanding 'spouse or dependent' to any guest – was intended to allow a Member of Congress to bring the individual that they've decided to share their lives with to a charity event, regardless of whether they had taken steps to bring the law or religion into their relationship,' it adds.
