Top Line

Embarrassed Rep. George Santos (RN.Y.) is facing a House ethics investigation, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) confirmed Tuesday, two months after allegations surfaced that Santos falsified nearly all of his resumes. and crafted personal background, leading a coalition of Republicans to call for his resignation from Congress.

important facts

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“ethics [Committee] is moving forward, and if ethics finds something, we will take action,” McCarthy said Tuesday, less than a month after Reps. Richie Torres and Dan Goldman, both Democrats of New York, requested the panel requested that the member of Congress launch an investigation, citing untimely, “rare and puzzling” financial disclosure reports.

santos told CNN He is “not worried” about the investigation.

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While it’s unclear what the ethics committee is probing, among a growing list of allegations against Santos, Torres and Goldman, their financial disclosure reports were filed in September, months after the May 15 deadline.

In the report, Santos claimed to own an apartment in Brazil worth up to $1 million (before admitting it) new york post He has no assets), and a reported salary of $750,000, with dividends of up to $10 million between 2021 and 2022, from a company he said he owns—a huge jump from the $55,000 salary he Was reported to make during his 2020 run for Congress. ,

forbes Santos’s office.

tangent line

Santos stepped down last week from his assignment on the Small Business and Science, Space and Technology committees, citing "the ongoing attention" [his] personal and financial investigation," he said in a statement. Santos said he takes the decision "very seriously."

main background

Evidence that Santos lied about his work, personal and financial history A new York Times Story In December, less than two months after being elected to represent the 3rd congressional district on Long Island, he flipped a previously Democrat-held seat. Santos later admitted new york post He lied on the campaign trail about working for Goldman Sachs and Citibank and being Jewish (he told the tabloids he meant he was "Jewish-ish"). In the months that followed, several acquaintances of Santos came forward to cast him as a fabulist who lied about working on Broadway, attending the Met Gala, a stint as a model, and drag. A History as Queen. Among the most pernicious allegations is Santos' story that his mother survived the September 11 attacks and later died of 9/11-related cancer, a claim that disproves immigration records. By Washington Post At that time she was in Brazil. In addition to the Ethics Committee's investigation, lawmakers and watchdog organizations have filed complaints against him with the Federal Election Commission and the Congressional Ethics Office. The Justice Department is also investigating allegations that Santos stole $3,000 from a GoFundMe account he allegedly set up on behalf of a veteran to pay for life-saving surgery for his dying dog, veteran Richard. According to Ostoff, who recently told Politico He was approached by FBI agents.

what to watch

The Ethics Committee—the only committee in Congress evenly split between members of both parties—is notorious for long and painstaking investigations that rarely take any action against members of Congress. Committee rules require Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Susan Wild (D-Penn.) to determine the validity of a complaint 14 calendar days, or five legislative days after its receipt. He has an additional 45 days to either set up a subcommittee to investigate or call for an extension of 45 days to decide on next steps. Santos can be ousted from Congress if two-thirds of its members vote to expel him, something that has happened only twice since the civil war.

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George Santos: Democratic congressmen ask the House Ethics Committee to investigate the lie (Forbes)