Unallowed gifts, late payments… the unexpected blur in the career of Ocasio-Cortez, the great Democratic hopeful
Governing Donald Trump, U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was always seen as the great Democratic hope. Of Latino origin and a woman: pure future. Today, with a Democrat in the White House, the congresswoman is supposed to await her chance on the bench. But these days her immaculate image already shows a blur.
The congresswoman of the U.S. Democratic Party is being. under investigation by the Ethics Office. The facts refer to the year 2021, when Ocasio-Cortez attended the Met Gala as a guest.. This event organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is one of the most important in the world of fashion in the United States.
Being so, its red carpet is especially bright. It brings together VIPS and fashion, so that celebrities wear creative and expensive, very expensive models. The Democrat congresswoman decided to be one of them and went with a white dress designed by Brother Vellies.
‘Tax the rich’ (“Tax the rich”).
It was an eye-catching garment, not so much for its design as for the phrase embroidered in large red letters on the back: Tax the rich (“Tax the rich”). At a frivolous and high-powered gala, Ocasio-Cortez did not miss the opportunity to do what she knows, to make policy.
After all, the congresswoman was elected from New York City’s 14th district, which encompasses some areas of the popular neighborhoods of the Bronx and Queens, among the poorest in the city..
So much for the passage of the most progressive of the Democrats through the event at the Metropolitan of Art in New York, which aroused as much criticism as adhesions. She left no one indifferent. The problem comes with what later became known: in order to attend the gala, the young politician would have broken the rules of parliamentary ethics by having received gifts.
Congress precludes accepting gifts as “a gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, indulgence, or other item having monetary value.”
That’s what the investigation maintained by the House of Representatives suggests. In December, the Ethics Committee also decided to expand it to find out with certainty whether Ocasio-Cortez may have accepted impermissible gifts as a member of Congress.. The rules of this chamber preclude accepting gifts such as “a gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, indulgence, or other item having monetary value.”
Gifts not allowed?
The committee has released a report from the Office of Congressional Ethics, which says the congresswoman “may have accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021.” In addition, the policy Would have taken months to pay professionals who did her makeup ($345) and hair ($478) to look the part, details The New York Times.
It’s a very unfortunate situation. I feel terrible, especially for the small businesses that were affected.”
Similarly, the parliamentarian was slow to pay the bill for the rent for the dress, shoes, handbag and jewelry.all from designer Aurora James (about $990), the hourly rental of a room at the luxurious Carlyle Hotel (about $5,000) and transportation to the event venue.
However, “the mere fact of conducting an additional review of a referral, and any mandatory disclosure of such additional review, does not in itself indicate that any violation has occurred.“, clarifies the leadership of the Ethics Committee (which brings together Republicans and Democrats) in a statement.
Ocasio-Cortez ended up paying the bills, but after congressional investigators contacted Aurora James, and her company, Brother Vellies.
“Unacceptable,” Ocasio-Cortez acknowledges.
“It really looks like there was a ball that was dropped,” the young parliamentarian has told investigators. “It’s a very unfortunate situation. I I feel terribly bad, especially for small businesses. who were affected,” the congresswoman said. Ocasio-Cortez claims that a member of her staff (who is no longer a staff member) was responsible for the payments, but did not do his job properly.
Her attorney, David Mitrani, explained in a statement to the committee that “while no Ethics violation has been found, the Office of Congressional Ethics identified that delays in paying vendors for costs associated with the Congresswoman’s attendance at the Met Gala.” According to counsel, the congresswoman finds the delays “unacceptable”. and has taken steps “to ensure that nothing of this nature happens again.”
After exhaustive review of the congresswoman’s personal communications, there is no record that she refused to pay these expenses.”
“Even after the exhaustive review of the Congresswoman’s personal communications, there is no record that he refused to pay these expenses.“, Mitrani has written. “To the contrary, there are several explicit and documented communications, prior to the Ethics Office’s review, showing that the Congresswoman understood that she had to pay these expenses out of her own personal funds, as she ultimately did. We are confident that the Ethics Committee will dismiss the matter,” said the attorney.
