George Santos was an unknown figure within the Republican Party when he kicked off his congressional campaign just months ago. That may be the reason that he felt comfortable enough sharing numerous fabrications regarding his background, family history, education and employment, charitable giving, and sexual orientation when introducing himself to his constituents. But, thanks to an investigative piece that uncovered all of inconsistencies between his statements and real life, George Santos is far from unknown. To the contrary, he's gained massive amounts of scrutiny.
The latest development comes in the form of a complaint with the House Ethics Committee. This complaint following one made by the Campaign Legal Center to the Federal Election Commission. Both allege that Santos improperly used campaign funds, misrepresenting his spending, and hiding the true sources funding his campaign.
The complaint with the House Ethics Committee comes from Democratic Congressmen Daniel Goldman and Ritchie Torres who told the New York Times that they decided to take action in part because of the relative silence from congressional Republican leadership.
“Congressman Torres and I feel it’s incredibly important to make sure that the integrity of the House and the integrity of its members are put front, first and foremost,” said Mr. Goldman, a former federal prosecutor.
At a recent news conference, Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) responded to a question regarding Santos, saying, "Obviously, there were concerns about what we had heard, and so we’re going to have to sit down and talk to him about it," later clarifying that the conversation would take place "internally."
Don't let that fool you, though---Mr. Goldman and Mr. Torres are far from the only Representatives that are concerned about the freshman fabricator. Representative Nick LaLota, who, like Mr. Santos, is beginning his first term in Congress, also representing Long Island, called for a "full investigation by the House ethics committee and, if necessary, law enforcement."
All of this push for accountability may fall flat, however, due to rule changes that House Republicans have thrust upon the bipartisan Office of Congressional Ethics, which is already known for doling out pitiful punishments. Mr. Goldman said in a statement that the changes come, "“just in time to protect their favorite fraud, George Santos.”
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