House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) has introduced a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos, a day after the ethics committee found that the New York Republican repeatedly lied about a myriad of subjects while also committing extensive “pervasive campaign finance violations and fraudulent activity.”
Santos responded by maintaining his innocence but announced that he would not seek reelection, calling the report a “disgusting politicized smear.” The embattled congressman has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal criminal charges including laundering funds and defrauding donors. The earliest the House would vote on expelling Santos would be Nov. 28 when lawmakers return after the Thanksgiving holiday break.
The Committee on Ethics of the U.S. House of Representatives earlier voted unanimously to adopt a report outlining a series of disturbing allegations against Santos. Guest forwarded the report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for further investigation due to evidence of campaign finance violations, money misuse, and fraudulent activity.
Under Guest’s direction, the committee’s investigative subcommittee (ISC) compiled a thorough record that included testimonies from numerous witnesses and over 170,000 documents. The evidence presented in the ISC’s report paints a disturbing picture of Santos’ alleged misconduct, including knowingly filing false reports with the Federal Election Commission, using campaign funds for personal gain, engaging in fraudulent conduct with RedStone Strategies LLC, and violating the Ethics in Government Act concerning his financial disclosure statements.
Despite requests for cooperation, the ISC faced obstacles, with Santos reportedly obstructing the process. The ISC expedited its review amid a deferral request from the Department of Justice, ultimately recommending the immediate disclosure of its findings and referral of evidence to the DOJ.
The committee found that Santos sought personal financial gain at every turn during his House candidacy, misappropriating campaign funds, deceiving donors and engaging in a web of fraudulent activities. The report suggests he exploited his connections to high-value donors and other political campaigns for personal benefit.
According to the ISC’s report, what is particularly troubling is Santos’ lack of honesty and cooperation during the investigation. He reportedly failed to submit a written response to the allegations, provide requested documents, or testify voluntarily. Despite public statements asserting his innocence and cooperation, the report suggests a consistent failure to engage with the investigation meaningfully.
The committee’s referral to the DOJ includes evidence of potential federal criminal violations beyond the pending charges against Santos. The ISC recommended that the committee publicly condemn the representative for conduct it deemed beneath the dignity of the office and damaging to the House’s reputation.
The Committee and ISC said they are aware that formal charges could be brought through a Statement of Alleged Violations. However, they said that starting a long public adjudication process could cause problems with the current criminal case.
Santos is “not fit to serve as a Member of the United States House of Representatives, because of his egregious violations,” the committee wrote in its report.
