Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) walks again to his workplace after debate on the Home ground on a decision to expel him from Congress, Nov. 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) walks again to his workplace after debate on the Home ground on a decision to expel him from Congress, Nov. 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) stated Thursday that he won’t search reelection, after a Home watchdog discovered “substantial proof” that he dedicated fraud, violated ethics guidelines and illegally used marketing campaign funds for private functions.
The scathing report, launched earlier that day by the Home ethics committee, particulars what it describes as “a posh net of illegal exercise involving Consultant Santos’ marketing campaign, private, and enterprise funds.”
The monthslong investigation “revealed that Consultant George Santos can’t be trusted,” the report states. “At almost each alternative, he positioned his need for personal acquire above his obligation to uphold the Structure, federal regulation, and moral ideas.”
The ethics committee referred its findings to the Division of Justice.
In a statement Thursday, Santos denounced the report as “biased,” and stated the committee “went to extraordinary lengths to smear myself and my authorized crew.”
“I’ll stay steadfast in preventing for my rights and for defending my title within the face of adversity,” he stated. “I’m humbled but once more and reminded that I’m human and I’ve flaws, however I cannot stand by as I’m stoned by those that have flaws themselves.”
“I’ll proceed on my mission to serve my constituents up till I’m allowed,” he went on. “I’ll nevertheless NOT be looking for re-election for a second time period in 2024 as my household deserves higher than to be below the gun from the press on a regular basis.”
If there was a single ounce of ETHICS within the “Ethics committee”, they’d haven’t launched this biased report. The Committee went to extraordinary lengths to smear myself and my authorized crew about me not being forthcoming (My authorized payments recommend in any other case).
The report itself doesn’t particularly suggest expulsion from Congress or another formal punishment, as ethics committee Chair Michael Visitor (R-Miss.) indicated earlier this week. However inside minutes of the report’s launch, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) vowed to maneuver — as soon as once more — to expel Santos, whom he referred to as a “liar and a fraud” and “unfit to serve.”
“The committee’s condemning report has made it crystal clear that the GOP’s resolution to attend 9 months to behave was not solely irresponsible however harmful,” Garcia stated in an announcement. “Allow us to not overlook that previous to the discharge of this damning report George Santos already confronted 23 prison costs together with wire fraud, conspiracy, making false statements, falsifying information, aggravated identification theft and bank card fraud.”
Santos, a first-term congressman, was indicted in New York in October on 23 counts, and will face a prolonged jail sentence if convicted. He has pleaded not responsible, repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and resisted a gradual drumbeat of requires him to resign.
In its report, the investigating subcommittee referred to as the state of affairs “unprecedented in lots of respects,” and stated the “integrity of the Home has been referred to as into query in a big and overt method that the Committee can’t ignore.”
“Whereas it isn’t unusual for Committee investigations to contain a number of allegations and a sample of misconduct, the sheer scope of the violations at challenge right here is extremely uncommon and damning,” the report reads.
