WASHINGTON (TNND) — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., must pay an additional $3,000 to cover the costs associated with her attendance at the 2021 Met Gala, where she donned a white dress with "Tax the Rich" written in red across it.

The House Ethics Committee found in a report released Friday that Ocasio-Cortez had underpaid for the dress designed by Brother Vellies. The Congresswoman had paid $990.76 for the dress rental, but the committee found the cost to be "unrealistic" and that the designer's accountant had "vastly undervalued the apparel." The Committee concluded that the dress Ocasio-Cortez wore was an impermissible gift as what the Congresswoman paid for “failed to account for the true cost of such unique goods, particularly considering that they were custom-made for the congresswoman and likely had no further use after the event.”

The clothing rental service Rent the Runway was used by Ocasio-Cortez's team as a price comparison when determining how much the Congresswoman would be expected to pay, which the committee found to be inappropriate.

“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 Ethics Committee wrote.

The Committee, which began its investigation in 2023, determined that the violations committed by Ocasio-Cortez were not "knowing and willful" and that the matter would be considered closed once she paid an additional $2,733.28 to the the dress designer and donate $250 to the Met's Costume Institute to cover the cost of her fiancé's meal at the gala.

"The Committee did not find evidence that Representative Ocasio-Cortez intentionally underpaid for any goods or services received in connection with the Met Gala; in many instances, the congresswoman relied on the advice of counsel in determining appropriate payment amounts, and most discussions about payment were handled through a campaign staffer," the Committee wrote.

During the Committee's investigation, it was revealed that many of the payments to vendors, including hair and makeup services, were delayed for months, with some of the payments associated with the Congresswoman's attendance at the Gala not resolved till after the investigation became public. However, the Ethics Committee determined the delay in payments was not intentional.

Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described Democratic socialist who has consistently railed against the excesses of the elite, will have spent more than $10,000 on costs associated with her attendance at the Met Gala, according to her counsel. Hair and make-up services, transportation, and hotel rooms totaled around $7,500.

“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,” Mike Casca, Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, said in a statement. “She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she’s done at each step in this process.”

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