On Wednesday (December 7), it was revealed in a statement by the acting chair of the House Ethics Committee that Rep. Alexander Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was under investigation by the Committee.
The news that the New York Democrat was being investigated came in a press release published on Wednesday, though the press release did not specify what the Committee was investigating.
Instead, the House Ethics Committee asserted that the announcement of the probe did not “itself indicate” that Oasio-Cortez had committed any violation.
However, the Committee noted that it was probing the claim based on receiving the matter from the non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics on June 23, 2022.
The Office of Congressional Ethics is an independent entity that examines misconduct allegations against lawmakers and other personnel in the House of Representatives.
The Committee indicated it would only be moving ahead with the probe after the New Congress adopts its Committee rules.
Following the publication of the press release, a spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez expressed the New York Democrat’s commitment to ethics.
The spokesperson pointed to the Congresswoman’s refusal to accept “donations from lobbyists, corporations, or other special interests.”
The spokesperson also revealed that Ocasio-Cortez was “confident” the probe would be “dismissed.”
Typically, the House Ethics Committee should review matters referred from the Office of Congressional Ethics within 45 days.
When the 45 days end, the Committee can decide to extend the probe, but if it decides to extend — as in the case of Ocasio-Cortez — it must issue a public statement.
The extension of Ocasio-Cortez’s case likely was lengthy because of the midterm election, as the Committee can also delay taking action if that action would occur within 60 days of an election.
