Rep. George Santos announced this week that he will not seek reelection after a scathing congressional report on alleged unethical activities. And now he faces a new effort to expel him from Congress even with this pledge to step aside.
On Thursday, the House Ethics Committee issued a blistering report citing “overwhelming evidence” of wrongdoing by Santos. The group, controlled by fellow Republicans, plainly stated that the first-term congressman “cannot be trusted.”
Santos immediately posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he would not seek reelection despite calling the report a “disgusting politicized smear.”
He did not indicate intentions to step aside before his term ends, though that decision may be made for him.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) quickly introduced a bill targeting Santos. The New York Democrat has been under a deluge of ethics investigations since his surprise election in 2022 over everything from lying about his history to financial irregularities.
Now that we know George Santos spent campaign funds on OnlyFans, here’s George Santos claiming he didn’t know what it was.
Fox News host: “You just can’t tell the truth.”pic.twitter.com/tmCYKWwFRT
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) November 16, 2023
Currently, in a two-week recess, the House will likely vote on the expulsion measure when it returns to Washington. At issue for some Republicans will be the slim 221-213 majority the party holds in the divided House and the effect his ejection would have on their slim advantage.
Some also noted that Democrats committed far worse infractions and are still in their seats.
The 35-year-old Santos was found by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee to have engaged in a pattern of poor record keeping. The panel cited misuse of campaign funds so egregious that it said his actions “called into question the integrity of the House.”
The representative is accused of massive misuse of campaign funds that may extend into criminal behavior.
The report noted spending thousands of dollars on Botox treatments and luxury items. One particularly scathing segment detailed the use of campaign funds on a famous, well-known adult content website.
The committee referred findings to the Justice Department of “uncharged and unlawful conduct” related to his failed 2020 campaign as well.
Expulsion from the chamber would require a two-thirds vote from representatives. The first such effort saw 182 Republican votes against removing Santos, likely due to the effect his departure would have on their slim majority.
