(NewsGlobal.com)- In early December, the acting chairwoman and the ranking Republican of the House Ethics Committee revealed that the committee is investigating Progressive Squaddie Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
In their joint statement, Congresswoman Susan Wild (D-PA) and Congressman Michael Guest (R-MS) did not specify what the investigation entails but said the committee will “announce its next course of action” in the next Congress.
The statement noted that Ocasio-Cortez being under investigation “does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.”
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez confirmed that she was “fully participating” in the Ethics Committee’s investigation.
Her office said in a subsequent statement that the congresswoman “has always taken ethics incredibly seriously.” The statement noted that Ocasio-Cortez has refused donations from corporations, lobbyists, and “other special interests” and was confident the investigation “will be dismissed.”
According to the Ethics Committee, the Office of Congressional Ethics forwarded the matter to committee members in June.
While it is unclear what prompted the Ethics Committee investigation, a complaint against Ocasio-Cortez was filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics by the American Accountability Foundation which alleged that the New York Congresswoman had accepted an “impermissible gift” when she attended the Met Gala last year.
The complaint stemmed from Ocasio-Cortez accepting designer clothes and jewelry, including the infamous “tax the rich” gown, to attend the Met Gala. She also received the services of professional hair and makeup artists for the outing.
The complaint alleged that Ocasio-Cortez violated the House’s “gift rule.”
In November, the House Ethics Committee announced that it would pursue an investigation into outgoing New York Democrat Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney over allegations that she may have improperly solicited tickets to the annual Met Gala in 2016 and 2020.
The House’s current gift guidance says that members “may accept an unsolicited offer of free attendance for a charity fundraising event” for themselves and their spouses or a dependent child. But the rules emphasize that soliciting such a gift is impermissible.
