In a report released Friday, the committee said that Ocasio-Cortez “proactively took steps to comply” with House rules, including using personal funds to rent apparel that would typically be gifted or loaned to Met Gala attendees.

But the report states that, “despite Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s significant attempts, the Committee found that she failed to fully comply with the Gift Rule by impermissibly accepting a gift of free admission to the 2021 Met Gala for her partner and by failing to pay full fair market value for some of the items worn to the event.”

The ethics panel said it did not find evidence that Ocasio-Cortez “intentionally underpaid” for costs related to the event, and that “in many instances,” she had relied on a campaign staffer to handle discussions of payment and the advice of her counsel to determine the amounts.

. . . The ethics committee also released a separate report related to Rep. Mike Kelly, a Pennsylvania Republican, and allegations that his wife may have bought stock in a steel company based on confidential or nonpublic information he learned in his role as a congressman.

The committee said that it reviewed allegations referred by the Office of Congressional Conduct and “did not find evidence that he knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information.”

But the report said that the panel “did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper.”

The report concluded by saying that “Representative Kelly should ensure that he and Mrs. Kelly divest of all shares of Cleveland-Cliffs before taking any further official action relating to the company.”

This some bull shit right here.

  • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    8·
    14 hours ago

    I don’t really understand what you’re getting at.

    There’s loads (almost all ?) of public institutions which have become tools for the authoritarian regime.

    This institution is not “working as intended” if it asks a democrat to repay an event ticket but gives a republican a free pass on insider trading.

    I’ll remind you that insider trading is theft. If a stock is worth $x on the open market but you know that due to upcoming legislation or regulator actions it’s really worth $x + $y then when you buy that stock you deprive everyone else in the market of that $y.

    One person received a benefit of a few hundred dollars and the other received a benefit of possibly a few million dollars.

    • LilB0kChoy@piefed.socialEnglish
      1·
      1 hour ago

      There’s loads (almost all ?) of public institutions which have become tools for the authoritarian regime.

      Yep, there sure are. Anything to support that the OCE (a non-partisan independent board) or House Ethics Committee (a bi-partisan committee made up of 5 members of each party) is one of them?

      This institution is not “working as intended” if it asks a democrat to repay an event ticket

      OCE referred it to the HEC, they reviewed it and found that while AOC made full effort to abide by the gift policy there were a few things missed. They asked her to rectify it and she agreed. She also acknowledged their findings (“She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she’s done at each step in this process“). What’s not working there?

      but gives a republican a free pass on insider trading.

      “the committee said that it reviewed allegations referred by the Office of Congressional Conduct and “did not find evidence that he knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information.”

      Any actual tangible proof or evidence they’re lying? Or maybe you have a view like the MAGAs and want to suspend due process for those you don’t like?

      One person received a benefit of a few hundred dollars and the other received a benefit of possibly a few million dollars.

      Do you notice how you worded this?

      “One person received a benefit of a few hundred dollars”

      “other received a benefit of possibly a few million dollars”. Possibly.

      The committee said that it reviewed allegations referred by the Office of Congressional Conduct and “did not find evidence that he knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information.”

      But the report said that the panel “did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper.”

      I think it’s very likely they engaged in insider trading, but if they have nothing to actually prove it, what are you expecting from the process?

      I’ll remind you that insider trading is theft.

      It sure is. Who handles financial crimes? The DoJ and the SEC, yet no investigation was opened. Probably because those organizations have been hamstrung and stacked with loyalists at positions of power? Although the case for Rep. Kelly was referred to House Ethics in 2021…

      On July 23, 2021, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Rep. Mike Kelly.