House ethics panel to investigate Rep. George Santos
The subcommittee will determine whether Santos may have “engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office,” the statement said.
Santos, who was elected in November, has faced calls to step down from Democrats and Republicans — including from the New York delegation — for fabricating many details about his life, including that his mother was at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Immigration records showed she wasn’t in the country.
Santos admitted to lying about his education and work history, but questions remain about the source of his wealth, which he used to help fund his campaign. In January, a nonpartisan watchdog group filed a complaint to the Federal Election Commission about Santos’s campaign financing.
The Washington Post has also reported that Santos claimed the cousin of a Russian oligarch as a client.
Santos has resisted calls for him to resign, as has House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who said Santos was legally elected and seated without objection. House Republicans assigned Santos to two House committees in January, but Santos later stepped down from those committees saying he was a “distraction.”
Azi Paybarah contributed to this report.