The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., for potentially violating ethics rules by seeking an invitation to the Met Gala.
The committee’s inquiry into Maloney was revealed in a report on Monday, saying she may have improperly sought an invitation to the exclusive event in 2016. Maloney has been a long-time attendee at the event.
“If Rep. Maloney solicited or accepted impermissible gifts, then she may have violated House rules, standards of conduct and federal law,” the board of the Office of Congressional Ethics wrote in the report.
Investigators say Maloney was taken off the invite list in 2016, and that she subsequently called former Met president Emily Rafferty and soon secured tickets, Politico reported Tuesday. Maloney has attended the event each year since 2016.
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Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., asks a question during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Maloney has reportedly told investigators that she has always been invited to the Met Gala and does not remember making the call to Rafferty.
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Attorneys for Maloney argued in a statement to investigators that her attendance at the 2016 gala and others “was appropriate and complied with all applicable House gift rules, laws, and regulations. In addition, Chairwoman Maloney did not impermissibly solicit an invitation to these events.”
Hillary Clinton arrives at the In America: An Anthology of Fashion themed Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York, U.S., May 2, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid
Maloney isn’t the only Democratic lawmaker to have made waves by attending the Met Gala. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also raised eyebrows last year when she showed up to the event in a dress emblazoned with the words “tax the rich.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Kevin Mazur/MG21/Getty Images For The Met Museum/Vogue) (Getty)
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The committee has not announced a timeline for their investigation into the matter.
