AOC facing House Ethics Committee investigation

 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is facing an investigation from the House Committee on Ethics, according to a press release.

Sparse details about the inquiry were given, but the press release Wednesday explained that the Office of Congressional Ethics had relayed the matter to the panel on June 23. The committee explained in the release that it was extending the investigation of Ocasio-Cortez.

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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 panel emphasized.

The extension of the inquiry comes ahead of the swearing-in of the 118th Congress in January.

Last year, an ethics watchdog called for a review of Ocasio-Cortez's attendance at the Met Gala, in which she famously caused a stir by donning a dress bearing the slogan, "Tax the Rich." The watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, underscored that House Rule 25 imposed restrictions on the types of gifts members of Congress could receive.

FACT implored the House Committee on Ethics to examine the matter, but it is unclear if the Met Gala controversy is connected to the investigation revealed Wednesday. Other members of the New York delegation, such as outgoing Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), appear to have landed in similar controversy over the Met Gala.

Notably, the Office of Congressional Ethics previously divulged that it "transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics" for Maloney on June 23, 2022 — the same date given for the Ocasio-Cortez referral noted in the press release Wednesday.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/aoc-facing-house-ethics-committee-investigation