Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Can't Escape Her Most Controversial Outfit (& It Cost Her A Pretty Penny)

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez once made a bold statement with her Met Gala ensemble. Yet, the look's message wasn't what made it the most scandalous outfit she has ever worn. AOC has been under investigation with the House Ethics Committee for accepting gifts for the event that were not permitted — in the form of her rented ensemble, as well as her husband, Riley Roberts', ticket for the evening. And, now, it's going to cost her.

Donald Trump may be forever banned from The Met Gala, but at least one of his political enemies is not. AOC attended the famous event in 2021, when the theme was "American Independence." Knowing AOC and all that she stands for, there was no question that she had some strong opinions about this particular theme, and she wasn't afraid to voice them in bold, red font. She wore a classic white off-the-shoulder dress by Brother Vellies, which had "Tax The Rich" scrawled across the back in large letters. Surely this message enraged a few folks — some of whom certainly saw the dress in person at the high profile event. It also had X, formerly known as Twitter in a tizzy. Yet, it was how she obtained the 'fit that really got her into trouble. She reportedly rented nearly $4,000 worth of items, including the dress, and paid under $1,000 for it. 

In addition to her attention-grabbing dress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also reportedly never paid in full when renting her red bag that also featured the phrase, "Tax the Rich," her shoes, her hair accessory, jewelry, and for the work from a hairstylist for the occasion. After a years-long investigation into what went wrong, it was determined that AOC did not deliberately skip out on paying for any of these items. Instead, it seems that it may have been an oversight made by members of her staff. Now, according to the report of the Committee on Ethics, "The Committee determined that no sanction was merited, provided Representative Ocasio-Cortez: (1) donates the $250 value of Mr. Roberts' Met Gala meal to the Costume Institute and (2) pays Brother Vellies an additional $2,733.28 for the fair market value of the goods that she received in connection with her 2021 Met Gala attendance."

In a statement, her chief of staff, Mike Casca, said that AOC "accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process," per the New York Post. We have a feeling that after years of drama, AOC will be particularly careful the next time she rents a red carpet look.