A motion has been introduced by the head of the House ethics committee to expel George Santos from Congress, marking a second expulsion vote after an ethics report alleged fraudulent
activities by the lawmaker.
The House is set to vote post-Thanksgiving, re-evaluating Santos's fate less than a month after the initial vote for expulsion.
Released on Thursday, an ethics report accused Mr. Santos of exploiting his House candidacy for personal financial gain, detailing instances of misusing campaign funds for luxury items and vacations.
"Representative George Santos is not fit to serve as a Member of the United States House of Representatives," stated the ethics committee chairman, Michael Guest, in proposing the expulsion motion, citing Santos's serious violations.
Surviving the previous expulsion vote, Santos faces a different outlook this time. Some lawmakers who previously opposed expulsion wanted to review the ethics investigation report before making a final decision.
The report was critical, revealing significant details about alleged fraudulent actions. Santos denounced it as "biased" on social media and declared he wouldn't seek re-election.
The report debunked Santos's self-proclaimed affluent financial background as largely fabricated, stating that he falsified his professional history, claimed ownership of non-existent assets, and invented job roles at prestigious banks.
The investigation also alleged that Santos created fictitious loans, received questionable repayments, misused campaign funds for personal expenses, including luxury purchases, beauty treatments, and trips.
Moreover, investigators highlighted a pattern of financial irresponsibility, stating that Santos consistently relied on high-interest credit cards to finance extravagant spending habits.
The committee didn't conduct a formal expulsion process due to concerns about potential delays and its impact on ongoing legal proceedings against Santos. The Department of Justice was notified about potential criminal activities uncovered during the inquiry.
While Santos blamed his ex-campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, for the fraudulent activities, the committee concluded that he was actively involved in the misconduct and criticized his lack of full cooperation during the investigation, a claim Santos refuted. Photo by U.S. House Office of Photography, Wikimedia commons.