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By Nick Mordowanec
Staff Writer
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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is formally under investigation by the House Committee on Ethics.
The committee made the announcement on Wednesday in a press release but did not provide details regarding any alleged violation.
The committee's chair, Pennsylvania Democrat Susan Wild, and ranking member, Mississippi Republican Michael Guest, decided to extend the investigation into Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, after it was originally relayed to the Committee by the Office of Congressional Ethics on June 23.
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"The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee," the release said.
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A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez told Newsweek in a statement that she was confident the case would be dismissed.
"The Congresswoman has always taken ethics incredibly seriously, refusing any donations from lobbyists, corporations or other special interests," the spokesperson said.
The course of action surrounding the investigation will be announced as part of the 118th Congress, the committee added.
While the alleged violation remains unclear, Thomas Jones, founder of the nonpartisan governmental oversight research organization American Accountability Foundation, filed a complaint to the committee in September of 2021 following Ocasio-Cortez's attendance at the Met Gala, where she wore a "Tax the Rich" dress.
The complaint requested an immediate investigation into Ocasio-Cortez "for accepting an impermissible gift" to go to the event that is traditionally attended by celebrities and people from multiple industries.
Jones alleged that Ocasio-Cortez's ethics violation came in the form of accepting admission to the opulent event, where per-seat costs reportedly range from $35,000 to $50,000, and "without having a permissible exemption to allow the acceptance of the lavish gift."
"If Representative Ocasio-Cortez has used campaign funds to pay for this ticket, she has also violated FEC prohibitions on campaign funds being used for entertainment purposes," Jones wrote. "Without prompt investigation and enforcement of Congressional Rules, the American people are likely to lose faith in the ability of Congress to police its members."
She was one of about 400 invited attendees, The Daily Mail reported in September of 2021. Other New York-based politicians in attendance included New York Democratic Representative Carolyn Maloney and former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Ocasio-Cortez said her dress that evening was borrowed.
"And yes, BEFORE anybody starts wilding out - NYC elected officials are regularly invited to and attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing our city's cultural institutions that serve the public," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on September 14, 2021.
Maloney was the subject of a similar ethics investigation resulting from the same event, though the longtime congresswoman's recent election loss might end the investigation.
Jones told Newsweek following the committee's announcement that whether it was his organization's complaint or another's, "we believe our complaint against Rep. Ocasio-Cortez lays out a clear case that she violated House Ethics rules."
"We would also note that the ethics committee in the Maloney case has been taking a critical look at the extravagant giveaway to members at the Met Gala, and we hope that this is an indication that they are taking a look at our complaint against Rep. Ocasio-Cortez as well," he said.
Newsweek reached out to Wild and the Office of Congressional Ethics for comment.
Update 12/7/22, 4:17 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
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