AOC Took Free Met Gala Gifts, Ethics Committee Confirms Violations, Costs Her Thousands

The House Ethics Committee released a report on Friday concluding that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) violated House rules by improperly accepting gifts associated with her 2021 appearance at the Met Gala, including a $35,000 ticket for her then-boyfriend and thousands of dollars in designer apparel and accessories, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

Following a multi-year investigation, the Committee unanimously voted to release its findings, stating that Ocasio-Cortez failed to comply with the House Gift Rule and did not pay the full fair market value for the items she received.

“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 report stated.

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Ocasio-Cortez made headlines at the time for wearing a white Brother Vellies designer dress emblazoned with the phrase “Tax the Rich.” The dress was valued at nearly $3,000.

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AOC agrees to pay after a complaint was filed with the House Ethics Committee for her costly ‘Tax the Rich’ Met Gala dress. pic.twitter.com/wUl6hpNMWo

— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) July 25, 2025

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The Committee found she paid only a fraction of the cost. In total, she wore over $3,700 in apparel and accessories, including shoes and jewelry, while reportedly paying significantly less — and not in a timely manner.

The report noted that most payments were only made after vendors sent repeated collection requests, threatened legal action, or after the Committee’s Office of Congressional Ethics initiated its review.

“Representative Ocasio-Cortez ultimately paid for most of the goods and services received out of personal funds, although the payments were significantly delayed and some payments fell short of fair market value,” the Committee wrote.

The investigation also determined that the additional Met Gala ticket provided to her then-boyfriend, Riley Roberts, violated House ethics rules.

While lawmakers are allowed to accept complimentary invitations to charity events, they are only permitted to accept an additional ticket for a spouse or dependent child. The Committee clarified that Roberts “did not fit the definition of a spouse” under the House Ethics Manual.

Despite the findings, the Committee opted not to impose formal sanctions.

Instead, Ocasio-Cortez is required to pay Brother Vellies $2,733.28 for the remaining value of the goods she received and to donate $250 — the estimated value of Roberts’s meal at the event — to the Costume Institute, which hosts the annual gala.

NEW: The fair-market value of AOC’s glamorous getup for the 2021 Met gala amounted to $3,724.04, per House Ethics Committee report released Friday.

Her campaign stiffed the vendors and only paid $990.76, while giving her then-beau Riley Roberts free admission. pic.twitter.com/3WB8MiduS9

— Josh Christenson (@jchristenson_) July 25, 2025

The report criticized her legal team for selectively applying campaign finance law over House ethics rules and stated that her attempts at compliance were insufficient.

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