Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has been ordered by the House Ethics Committee to pay nearly $3,000 after it ruled she received an improper gift when she attended the 2021 Met Gala wearing a “Tax the Rich” dress.
The Republican-led panel concluded that AOC underpaid for her outfit and accessories by thousands of dollars. While she previously paid just under $1,000 to cover the cost of the rental, the committee said the real fair market value was much higher. They ruled that she must pay another $2,733.28 to comply with House ethics rules.
The dress, a custom Brother Vellies creation, made headlines with its bold political message. But behind the scenes, ethics investigators say her team seriously underestimated the cost.
In its report, the committee said the designer’s accountant “vastly undervalued the apparel.” It concluded that the “true retail value of the gown” was likely $18,837.30, and the correct rental value would be closer to $2,976.29.
The committee also found she failed to pay for a custom flower hairpiece and ruled she should pay $36.71 to cover its rental. While shoes, a handbag, and jewelry rentals — totaling just over $400 — were deemed acceptable, her fiancé’s $250 meal at the event must be donated to the Met’s Costume Institute.
This ends a years-long investigation into whether Ocasio-Cortez improperly accepted gifts by attending the elite gala.
AOC’s office responded to the ruling, saying she will comply.
“She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she’s done at each step in this process,” said her chief of staff, Mike Casca. “The Congresswoman appreciates the Committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules and sought to act consistently with her ethical requirements as a Member of the House.”
In total, Ocasio-Cortez has now paid more than $10,000 for her attendance at the Met Gala, including earlier payments for makeup, hotel rooms, transportation, and other costs.
Her lawyers pushed back, arguing the congresswoman shouldn’t be held responsible for items she wasn’t aware of. “It would be nonsensical to suggest that the Congresswoman should have been prepared to pay for aspects of items and services that she didn’t know about and didn’t authorize,” her counsel wrote in a May 2025 letter.
Still, the committee said some of her team’s cost estimates were undervalued. It took particular issue with their attempt to compare the designer gown to outfits on Rent the Runway.
“The comparison of a one-of-a-kind, custom-made designer gown to those sold commercially and rented to numerous individuals on Rent the Runway is simply inapposite,” the report said.
In the end, the panel found that while the violations weren’t “knowing and willful,” they still broke the rules. With the additional payment, the case is considered closed.
