Republican Congressman George Santos of New York has announced that he will not seek reelection following a House ethics committee report that found evidence of fraud, ethics rule violations, and illegal use of campaign funds for personal purposes. The report, released on Thursday, describes a “complex web of unlawful activity” involving Santos’ campaign, personal, and business finances.
The investigation, which lasted several months, revealed that Santos cannot be trusted and consistently prioritized personal gain over his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles. The ethics committee has referred its findings to the Department of Justice.
In a statement, Santos criticized the report as biased and accused the committee of attempting to smear him and his legal team. He vowed to continue fighting for his rights and defending his name, but announced that he will not seek reelection in 2024, citing the impact on his family from constant media scrutiny.
The report itself does not explicitly recommend expulsion from Congress or any other formal punishment, according to ethics committee Chair Michael Guest. However, shortly after the report’s release, Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia pledged to once again seek Santos’ expulsion, calling him a “liar and a fraud” who is unfit to serve.
Garcia criticized the GOP’s delay in taking action, stating that the condemning report made it clear that the decision to wait was both irresponsible and dangerous. Prior to the report’s release, Santos already faced 23 criminal charges, including wire fraud, conspiracy, making false statements, falsifying records, aggravated identity theft, and credit card fraud.
Santos, who is in his first term as congressman, was indicted in New York in October and could face a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. He has maintained his innocence and refused calls for his resignation.
The investigating subcommittee described the situation as unprecedented and stated that the integrity of the House has been called into question in a significant and overt manner. The report highlights the highly unusual and damning scope of the violations involved.
This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as they become available.
