Ocasio-Cortez admits to violating congressional monetary disclosure guidelines

EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) brazenly admitted by way of her spokeswoman that she is flouting congressional monetary disclosure guidelines.

Ocasio-Cortez was because of report her 2021 funds to the Home Ethics Committee 11 days in the past on Aug. 13. Nonetheless, the general public stays at nighttime as to the standing of Ocasio-Cortez's funds as of Wednesday morning, and a spokeswoman for the New York lawmaker mentioned Ocasio-Cortez feels no rush to file her disclosure as required by federal legislation as a result of she will wait one other 20 days earlier than risking a effective.

"[T]he Committee offers a 30 day grace interval earlier than fines are levied. The Congresswoman plans to file earlier than the interval expires," Ocasio-Cortez communications director Lauren Hitt instructed the Washington Examiner on Tuesday night.

Ocasio-Cortez mentioned in April that American democracy is undermined when lawmakers are merely perceived to have acted improperly in regard to their private funds.

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Virtually each member of the Home has reported their 2021 monetary disclosures as required by federal legislation as of Wednesday morning. The disclosures are publicly out there for assessment on the Home Clerk's web site.

Ocasio-Cortez is one in all solely 10 members of the Home which have but to file their 2021 monetary disclosure, which nearly all members of the decrease chamber have been required to submit no later than Aug. 13. Different notable lawmakers which have but to file their 2021 disclosures embrace Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and outgoing Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI).

The effective Ocasio-Cortez would face if she's greater than 30 days late submitting her monetary disclosure is minor — simply $200. Nonetheless, it is not the primary time the lawmaker has exploited the 30-day grace interval to delay publicly disclosing her funds with out monetary penalty.

Ocasio-Cortez filed her 2019 monetary disclosure exactly 30 days late in September 2020, simply barely avoiding a Home Ethics Committee effective.

"Not solely is she an admitted scofflaw, she's a repeat offender," mentioned Paul Kamenar, an legal professional for the Nationwide Authorized and Coverage Middle, a conservative ethics watchdog group. "One should wonder if she additionally recordsdata her earnings tax returns previous the deadlines."

"Identical to AOC did in 2020 when she filed her 2019 disclosure report 30 days late after the 90-day extension, she's at it once more, blowing off the deadline for submitting her 2021 submitting that was due on August 13," Kamenar added.

Ocasio-Cortez's cavalier perspective towards disclosing her personal funds to the general public runs counter to her prior statements in regard to her colleague's funds.

She has repeatedly referred to as to outlaw members of Congress from buying and selling shares, saying that even the notion that lawmakers are buying and selling on insider info gleaned from their positions poses an existential menace to American democracy.

"We're additionally tackling a disaster of religion in our establishments in america, and that exploitation of that disaster of religion is a direct menace to our democracy," Ocasio-Cortez mentioned throughout an April press convention during which she referred to as for a congressional inventory buying and selling ban.

"It's our accountability to make sure that we eradicate, once more, that notion of impropriety as a result of it's these perceptions that may be exploited to undermine our most sacred establishments," she added.

Ocasio-Cortez disclosed final 12 months that her web price was between $3,000 and $45,000 as of the top of 2020. She reported proudly owning no shares.

Kamenar instructed that Ocasio-Cortez might be delayed in submitting her 2021 disclosure due to alleged moral points surrounding her look on the Met Gala in September 2021, throughout which she wore a designer costume that featured the phrase "Tax The Wealthy."

The NLPC filed a criticism to the Workplace of Congressional Ethics in September 2021 alleging that Ocasio-Cortez accepted impermissible presents associated to the occasion, together with the designer costume she wore, limo rides, and professional hairstylist bills. Kamenar mentioned lawmakers are required to reveal any presents they acquired, authorized or not, of their annual monetary disclosure statements.

Ocasio-Cortez secured her renomination because the Democratic candidate for New York's 14th Congressional District on Tuesday night after working unopposed within the major. She is anticipated to win reelection in November with ease as her district leans closely blue.