Updated as of 12/11/2022 at 9:00 a.m. ET
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Alexandria Ocasio-Ocasio Cortez is in the hot seat this week. On Wednesday, the House Ethics Committee announced that they were investigating her.
The progressive firebrand declined to say much about the case, but assured reporters that the investigation wouldn’t find anything.
“Out of respect to the committee’s process I can’t comment extensively,” AOC told CNN reporter Daniella Diaz, “but we’re fully participating and we’re confident that the matter will be dismissed.”
The committee chaired by Democratic Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, released a statement on Wednesday, announcing that they would continue to investigate a “matter” brought to them in June.
Now the obvious question here is what exactly is the committee investigating? Unfortunately, as leaky as folks on Capitol Hill are, we currently have no idea what’s being investigated.
Although there is speculation that it has to do with AOC’s appearance at the Met Gala. If folks over in AOC world are concerned about the investigation, so far they’re keeping it to themselves.
“We are confident that this matter will be dismissed,” rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson Lauren Hitt told Insider.
“The Congresswoman has always taken ethics incredibly seriously, refusing any donations from lobbyists, corporations, or other special interests,” said Hitt. “We are confident that this matter will be dismissed.”
AOC has famously been at the forefront of calling out corruption in politics and in corporations. Along with other progressives, AOC has rejected Political Action Money (aka PAC money). Throughout her time on the House Oversight committee, she’s gone after “dark money” from special interest groups and the issues endemic to big banks and other financial industries that are “too big to fail.”
It certainly isn’t the best look for her to pop-up on the House Ethics Committee’s radar. And you can bet that folks who are itching to tear her down will call her a hypocrite over the investigation.
It’s worth nothing that just because she’s being investigated doesn’t mean she’s made any ethical violations—a point which the committee made clear in its public statement.
“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,” wrote the committee chair.
It’ll be worth keeping a close eye on what the committee finds!
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