The House Ethics Committee has found Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez guilty of violating House rules by accepting improper gifts tied to her infamous “Tax the Rich” Met Gala appearance.

At a Glance

• The House Ethics Committee concluded AOC broke House rules by accepting improper gifts for the 2021 Met Gala.
• AOC was ordered to make additional payments for underpaid apparel and services, but will face no further sanctions if she complies.
• The case underscores the ongoing spectacle of political hypocrisy, especially when it comes to virtue-signaling elites and their treatment of ethics rules.
• Repercussions extend to future congressional conduct at high-profile, exclusive events.

House Ethics Committee Finds AOC Guilty of Gift Violations at 2021 Met Gala

The House Ethics Committee has ruled that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez violated explicit House rules by accepting improper gifts while attending the 2021 Met Gala. The Committee’s report, released July 26, 2025, detailed how AOC’s attendance—along with her partner’s—at the $30,000-per-ticket event included free admission, a custom designer dress, and services that were never fully paid for. According to the panel, these perks ran afoul of Congressional guidelines barring members from accepting gifts above certain limits, regardless of how “charitable” or “fashionable” the event might appear. For a member who built her brand on railing against privilege, this finding is not just embarrassing—it is a masterclass in hypocrisy.

Watch: House Ethics Committee Declares AOC Violated House Rules, Must Pay Fine

The Committee, in its findings, specified that AOC’s team underpaid for the designer apparel and services she received, and her partner’s free ticket and meal compounded the violation. The Committee stopped short of imposing formal sanctions, instead ordering AOC to cough up an additional $2,733.28 to Brother Vellies, the designer, and to donate $250 to cover her partner’s meal. Upon payment, the matter will be closed. While some on the left are quick to claim this is a mere oversight, the facts are clear and the optics are damning: rules were broken, period.

Tax the Rich Dress, Privilege for the Few—AOC’s Met Gala Moment Exposed

The Met Gala, known for its exclusivity and astronomical ticket prices, is hardly a venue for the everyday American. When AOC strutted into the event wearing her infamous “Tax the Rich” dress, she wasn’t sticking it to the elites—she was enjoying their company, courtesy of Vogue Magazine and a designer eager for publicity. The event was not, as some defenders claim, a widely accessible charity function. Invitations are tightly controlled, and the House Ethics Committee made clear this is exactly the kind of high-profile event where ethics rules are meant to apply.

House rules exist for a reason: to keep our elected officials from being bought, swayed, or seduced by gifts and favors. When lawmakers dance around these rules, it erodes public trust and hands ammunition to anyone who claims Washington is nothing but a club for the powerful and connected. AOC’s case isn’t the first time the Ethics Committee has had to step in, but it is among the most high-profile examples of how the left’s “do as I say, not as I do” mentality plays out in real life.

Staff Missteps, Committee Actions, and the Fallout for Ethics in Congress

The Committee’s investigation, which dragged on for years after the 2021 event, revealed that AOC’s staff relied far too much on the very vendors who stood to benefit from the exposure. Legal guidance was ignored or poorly implemented, and payments were delayed. The Ethics Committee, a bipartisan watchdog, ultimately found that while there may not have been willful misconduct, the violations were real and the responsibility lands squarely on AOC and her team.

In response to the ruling, AOC’s chief of staff announced that she would comply with the Committee’s orders and pay the remaining amounts. This gesture, while necessary, does little to undo the reputational damage. The Committee’s decision to close the case upon payment avoids a drawn-out spectacle, but the precedent is set: ethics rules will be enforced, even when the violator is a media darling with a “progressive” halo.