AOC's 'Tax the Rich' designer accused of leaving small business with massive charity gala bill
The fashion designer behind Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's, D-N.Y., "Tax the Rich" Met Gala dress is facing a seven-figure lawsuit accusing her of stiffing the small business she hired to throw her own star-studded charity gala.According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, designer Aurora James, 42, is being sued by event organizer The Gathery Inc.
over allegations stemming from unpaid bills after it produced the "15 Percent Pledge Gala 2026″ at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles earlier this year.The February bash boasted an attendee list that included Meghan Markle and Kimora Lee Simmons, and was held with the intention of raising money for Black business owners.ANNA WINTOUR REPORTEDLY FACES CALLS TO RETIRE AFTER JOHN GALLIANO MET GALA FIRESTORM: ‘LOST HER TOUCH’Aurora James and Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attend the 2021 Met Gala celebrating In America: A Lexicon of Fashion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Sept.
13, 2021.(Getty Images)However, a civil lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court by The Gathery alleges James, her nonprofit 15 Percent Pledge, and its fiscal sponsor, Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF) left the planners with the bill.The plaintiffs are seeking at least $1,082,965.28 in damages from the three parties, along with contractually owed interest and additional financial damages.According to court documents, James’s nonprofit allegedly made two initial deposits toward the $1.5 million bill to The Gathery — which produced the annual fundraiser in both 2024 and 2025 without issue — before ceasing all payments in November 2025.James "personally directed the project and repeatedly induced TGI to continue performing even after payment defaults had begun," the suit reads.PRINCE HARRY SUED BY CHARITY HE FOUNDED IN HONOR OF PRINCESS DIANAAurora James attends the Altuzarra fashion show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at the Woolworth Building on Sept.
12, 2026, in New York City.(Getty ...