Long Island Rep. George Santos will face a third attempt to remove him from Congress when House lawmakers return from their Thanksgiving break following a scathing ethics report referred to federal prosecutors who have already charged the Republican.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) introduced a special resolution Friday to impeach the 35-year-old GOP lawmaker after his panel revealed new details about his misuse of campaign funds.
The report shows Santos not only lied about most of his 2022 federal campaign filings but also used donor funds to pay for personal indulgences, including the X-rated Fans Only subscription.
The congressman previously pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges of laundering campaign money to pay for personal expenses and charging donors’ credit cards without authorization, among other campaign finance violations.
“The evidence found … is more than sufficient to warrant punishment and the most appropriate punishment is deportation,” Guest said in a statement.
The House, which is controlled by Republicans by a slim 221-213 majority, is expected to take up the deportation effort after it returns from a two-week recess on November 28. The motion requires a two-thirds vote to pass.
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) speaks to reporters as he leaves the Capitol after a series of votes, on November 15, 2023. REUTERS
Both Democrats and Republicans have previously introduced removal resolutions against freshman representatives — but neither has cleared a vote on the House floor.
House GOP lawmakers voted to refer the Democrat-led resolution to the Ethics Committee in May.
Earlier this month, another ouster push led by New York Republicans also failed, with some members expressing a desire for the ethics investigation to be resolved first.
Santos recently announced that he will not run again next year, writing in X that “my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time.” Reuters
In a statement after Thursday’s report, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called the findings “alarming” and urged GOP members to “consider the best interests of the institution” in future votes.
Other Republican lawmakers who rejected previous deportation attempts have said they will not release Santos a third time.
“After the Ethics Committee’s report was issued today, it is clear that George Santos is unfit to serve and should be removed from office,” Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) said on X. “George has betrayed the trust of his constituents who deserve honesty and transparency from their elected officials.”
The Long Island lawmaker faces 23 charges, including embezzlement and lying to Congress.REUTERS
Two Santos associates — his former campaign treasurer Nancy Marks and former fundraiser Samuel Miele — have already pleaded guilty to falsifying campaign finance records and defrauding donors.
The police who challenged the truth will go to trial on September 9, 2024, and announced on Thursday that he will not run again.
“I will not remain silent because I am stoned by those who have their own weaknesses,” Santos wrote on X, adding that “my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time.”
Representative Michael Guest (right), who chairs the Ethics Committee, predicted the report would reignite attempts to oust Santos before the end of his term. Getty Images
A spokesman for Santos’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The Ethics Committee said it is referring more “uncharged and illegal conduct” to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution, including new evidence about falsely reported loans received by Santos’ unsuccessful 2020 congressional campaign, loan repayments that impropriety and “systemic reporting errors” in both his 2020 and 2022 campaigns.
The report also detailed extravagant – and possibly illegal – spending of campaign money, including thousands of dollars for Botox, luxury brands such as Hermes, and “smaller purchases” from OnlyFans, an online platform known for sexual content.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
