Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Rightwing Watchdog Group Files Ethics Complaint Against AOC After Her Epic Met Gala Appearance

Rightwing Watchdog Group Files Ethics Complaint Against AOC After Her Epic Met Gala Appearance
James Devaney/GC Images

This week, some of the most famous faces in the United States gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the annual Met Gala, dressed to reflect the new costume exhibit around which the event was centered, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.

While there was no shortage of eye-popping looks, one of the most buzzed about ensembles was that of progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.


The Congresswoman—colloquially known as "AOC"—donned a white gown emblazoned with "Tax the Rich" in red, a longstanding slogan of hers.

The look was designed by Aurora James, the activist and designer behind the Brother Vellies label, with whom AOC attended the event.

Though many hailed the look, it still generated some criticism from people on both sides of the aisle. Leftists accused her of performing a hollow gesture at an event for the wealthy. Conservatives accused her of hypocrisy, falsely suggesting she paid $35 thousand to attend the event.

Now, a right-wing ethics group, the American Accountability Foundation, has filed an ethics complaint against AOC, arguing that her acceptance of admission amounted to a gift lavish enough to be improper.

The complaint reads in part:

"[W]e believe Representative Ocasio-Cortez has violated clause 5 of Rule XXV of the Rules of the House of Representatives (commonly known as the Gift Rule) by accepting admission to the Met Gala, an event whose per seat costs is reported to range from $35,000 to $50,000, without having a permissible exemption to allow the acceptance of the lavish gift. If Representative Occasion-Cortez has used campaign funds to pay for this ticket, she has also violated FEC prohibitions on campaign funds being used for entertainment purposes."

There's no evidence that Ocasio-Cortez paid to attend the event, nor was she the only elected official to join the soiree. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York was in attendance as well.

Ocasio-Cortez posted a tweet asserting that elected officials in New York regularly attend the Gala, which benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art—a public institution.

AOC's team told NBC news:

"We are confident we complied with all ethics rules."

People dismissed the claim on social media.



Others said there were double standards at play.


The group has yet to respond to those complaints.

More from People/alexandria-ocasio-cortez

Ramy Youssef and Elmo
@sesamestreet/Instagram

MAGA Is Predictably Melting Down Over Video Of Elmo Learning New Arabic Words For Arab American Heritage Month

A clip released by Sesame Street on Thursday, April 16, showed Elmo with Egyptian-American actor, comedian, producer, director, and Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month.

The 41-second video showed Youssef teaching Elmo the Arabic words "salamu alaykum" and "habibi."

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Sinatra; Donald Trump
Jim Spellman/WireImage; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Nancy Sinatra Fires Back At Trump With Four Powerful Words After He Uses Her Father's Song In Cryptic Post

Singer Nancy Sinatra, the daughter of the iconic crooner Frank Sinatra, criticized President Donald Trump after he posted a video featuring her father's version of the song "My Way" to Truth Social amid his ongoing war and negotiations with Iran.

"My Way," a song about an individual looking back on their decision to live life on their own terms, was one of the late Sinatra's signature hits. Trump posted a video of Sinatra singing the song with no comment or explanation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Pete Buttigieg; Donald Trump
@Acyn/X; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg Explains Why Trump's AI Jesus Post Was So Offensive To Christian Conservatives In Viral Video

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg condemned President Donald Trump for posting an AI-generated post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, describing it as "insulting" to both people's faith and their intelligence.

Earlier this month, the Pope criticized Trump's widely unpopular war in Iran and called on the world "to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and is not resolving anything."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
@atrupar/X

Trump Dragged After Gushing Over His Own Signature In Ultra-Cringey Viral Clip

President Donald Trump was super proud of himself after he signed an executive order to make certain psychedelic drugs more available to treat mental health conditions, taking an opportunity to boast about his own signature.

Trump's order approves $50 million in federal funding to expand access to certain therapies and directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track its review of drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine. He was joined by the likes of podcaster Joe Rogan and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlize Theron (left) responds to Timothée Chalamet’s (right) controversial comments about ballet and opera.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Charlize Theron Gives Timothée Chalamet A Blunt Reality Check About His Future After His Comments Insulting Ballet

Timothée Chalamet declaring that “no one cares” about ballet and opera was always going to age poorly. It just happened faster than expected.

Enter Charlize Theron, who didn’t just disagree—she flipped the whole argument, suggesting that while centuries-old art forms will endure, Chalamet’s own career may be far more vulnerable in the age of artificial intelligence.

Keep ReadingShow less