Rep. George Santos received’t search reelection after scathing ethics report cites proof of lawbreaking
The House Ethics committee in a scathing report Thursday mentioned it has amassed “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking by Rep. George Santos of New York that has been despatched to the Justice Department, concluding flatly that the Republican “cannot be trusted” after a monthslong investigation into his conduct.
Shortly after the panel’s report was launch, Santos tweeted on X that he wouldn’t be looking for reelection to a second time period. He blasted the committee‘s report as a “politicized smear.”
The panel said that Santos knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; and engaged in violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to financial disclosure statements filed with the House.
Santos has maintained his innocence and has refused to resign despite calls from many of his colleagues to do so.
The ethics panel’s report additionally detailed Santos’ lack of cooperation with its investigation and the way he “evaded” easy requests for data.
The data that he did present, based on the committee, “included material misstatements that further advanced falsehoods he made during his 2022 campaign.”
The report says that an investigative subcommittee determined to forgo bringing formal expenses as a result of it could have resulted in a “lengthy trial-like public adjudication and sanctions hearing” that solely would have given Santos “further opportunity to delay any accountability.” The committee determined as a substitute to ship the complete report back to the House.
It urges House members “to take any action they deem appropriate and necessary” primarily based on the report.
The findings by the investigative panel could be the least of Santos’ worries. The congressman faces a 23-count federal indictment that alleges he stole the identities of marketing campaign donors after which used their bank cards to make tens of hundreds of {dollars} in unauthorized expenses. Federal prosecutors say Santos, who has pleaded not responsible, wired a few of the cash to his private checking account and used the remaining to pad his marketing campaign coffers.
Santos, who represents elements of Queens and Long Island, can be accused of falsely reporting to the Federal Elections Commission that he had loaned his marketing campaign $500,000 when he really hadn’t given something and had lower than $8,000 within the financial institution. The pretend mortgage was an try to persuade Republican Party officers that he was a critical candidate, value their monetary help, the indictment says.
Santos simply survived a vote earlier this month to expel him from the House as most Republicans and 31 Democrats opted to withhold punishment whereas each his prison trial and the House Ethics Committee investigation continued.
