Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) is under investigation for allegedly asking for an invitation to the Met Gala, which would violate House rules and federal law on solicitation of gifts, according to a congressional ethics watchdog.
In a June report (pdf) released on Nov. 21, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) said it has “substantial reason to believe that Maloney may have solicited or accepted impermissible gifts” associated with her Met Gala attendance in 2016. The charity event, considered a fundraiser for the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, is generally frequented by celebrities, singers, actresses, and fashion luminaries.
“If Rep. Maloney solicited or accepted impermissible gifts, then she may have violated House rules, standards of conduct and federal law,” the OCE board wrote in the 15-page report, before transferring the matter to the bipartisan House Ethics Committee. In a Monday press release, the committee publicized the findings and said to look further into the matter, though noted the mere fact of the extension and disclosure didn’t indicate any wrongdoing….