George Santos says he received’t run for reelection after blistering ethics report requires DOJ referral

The House Ethics Committee on Thursday unanimously concluded that Rep. George Santos of New York must be referred to the Justice Department as a result of there may be “substantial evidence” he misused marketing campaign funds, filed false stories on his donations and engaged in different types of fraud.

The panel’s Investigative Subcommittee, in a scathing report, stated the Republican congressman’s conduct “warrants public condemnation, is beneath the dignity of the office and has brought severe discredit upon the House.”

The report says Mr. Santos, who beforehand admitted to fabricating a lot of his life story, siphoned marketing campaign funds into private accounts for luxurious purchases at Hermes and that even his professed cooperation with the ethics committee was “another lie.”

“Rep. Santos sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit. He blatantly stole from his campaign. He deceived donors into providing what they thought were contributions to his campaign but were in fact payments for his personal benefit,” lawmakers stated within the report, which was primarily based on greater than 170,000 pages of paperwork — together with monetary statements, contemporaneous communications and different supplies — and testimony from dozens of witnesses.

The committee didn’t advocate a selected punishment for Mr. Santos, who faces a federal indictment alleging he dedicated fraud and misused political donations. Ethics stories with proposed sanctions can take numerous time.

Mr. Santos, in a social media response, introduced he wouldn’t search reelection however panned the ethics report as a witch hunt.

DOCUMENT: House Ethics Committee report on George Santos

“If there was a single ounce of ETHICS in the ‘Ethics Committee,’ they would have not released this biased report,” he wrote on the X platform. “It is a disgusting politicized smear that shows the depths of how low our federal government has sunk. Everyone who participated in this grave miscarriage of justice should all be ashamed of themselves.”

The report issued by Committee Chairman Michael Guest, Mississippi Republican, and Rep. Susan Wild, Pennsylvania Democrat, recommended Mr. Santos‘ alleged fraud prolonged past what’s contained in federal fees.

“In light of the ongoing criminal investigation into Rep. Santos, and the ISC’s findings of additional uncharged and unlawful conduct by Rep. Santos, the ISC recommended that the committee immediately refer these allegations to the Department of Justice,” the panel stated.

Specifically, the ethics committee concluded that Mr. Santos, who has denied wrongdoing, dedicated the next:

• Knowingly precipitated his marketing campaign committee to file false or incomplete stories with the Federal Election Commission.

• Used marketing campaign funds for private functions.

• Engaged in fraudulent conduct in reference to an LLC referred to as RedStone Strategies.

• Engaged in figuring out and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act associated to the Financial Disclosure statements that lawmakers file with the House.

The report goes into element about how funds have been allegedly siphoned from RedStone Strategies to Mr. Santos‘ personal account and “were used to, among other things: pay down personal credit card bills and other debt; make a $4,127.80 purchase at Hermes; and for smaller purchases at Only Fans; Sephora; and for meals and for parking.”

The report also detailed expenditures at resorts in Atlantic City, New Jersey, despite the lack of political events there at the time.

It said many errors in his financial reports pivoted on improper reporting to the Federal Elections Commission, false personal loans from Mr. Santos and thousands of dollars in unreported disbursements and receipts.

Some lawmakers, including fellow Republicans in the New York delegation, want to use the report as a catalyst for their expulsion effort.

Their expulsion resolution would require a two-thirds majority from the House to pass. The measure failed on a 179-213 vote earlier this month, but ethics findings or a conviction could change some lawmakers’ calculus and result in new expulsion efforts.

“Many of my colleagues want to hang their hat on a report like [the Ethics Committee one] before they vote yes on expulsion,” Rep. Nick LaLota, New York Republican, stated. “I think that substance in the report will drive other members to get to yes.”

Rep. Gerry Connolly, Virginia Democrat who voted “present” on the final expulsion vote, stated Mr. Santos has “proven himself to be untrustworthy” and his time in Congress should finish.

“Given his repeated refusal to do the right thing and resign his seat, he should be expelled from the House without delay,” Mr. Connolly stated. “It is up to the House to decide when and how to police its members, and with today’s report Rep. Santos has used up every bit of due process he is owed.”

Expulsion from the House is uncommon. Only 5 members have been forcibly ousted. Two of them have been convicted of crimes; the opposite three supported the Confederacy and its insurrection towards the U.S.

Mr. Santos pleaded not responsible in May to federal fees that included counts of wire fraud, cash laundering, theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.

The indictment accuses Mr. Santos of utilizing political donations for private bills, making use of for COVID-19 unemployment reduction regardless of making $120,000 per yr at a Florida funding agency and misstating earnings quantities on House disclosure varieties.

A superseding indictment in October alleges he stole the identities of donors and made fraudulent fees on their bank cards. In all, he faces almost two dozen legal fees.

Ethics panel lawmakers have been unsparing of their criticism. Their report stated the congressman “cannot be trusted,” including they didn’t challenge a subpoena for Mr. Santos as a result of he deliberate to invoke his Fifth Amendment proper to silence and his testimony seemingly would have “low evidentiary value, given his admitted practice of embellishment.”

The committee stated it was not swayed by Mr. Santos‘ try and blame others, together with his treasurer, for monetary irregularities, and retraced how his troubles started with private fabrications.

The life story that Mr. Santos created unraveled shortly after his election win in 2022. Numerous stories revealed that the congressman lied about his schooling, work historical past and even his Jewish heritage. Fellow lawmakers overtly scoffed at his resume padding and distortions, together with a declare he was as soon as a star volleyball participant.

The scandal made him an object of fascination with late-night TV and on-line commentators, plus light-hearted ribbing from fellow lawmakers.

Still, many lawmakers referred to as on Mr. Santos to resign this yr. He rebuffed their calls.

• Alex Miller contributed to this story.