George Santos, the U.S. representative for New York’s 3rd congressional district, faces being removed from office amid the ongoing federal investigation into his finances, including his campaign spending, following the New York Times‘ bombshell report which was published on December 19th. The beyond-shocking Times investigation outlined the many lies and inconsistencies in the New York Republican congressman’s resume and biography, which included his education, financial career, and alleged property portfolio.
READ MORE: Mitt Romney Slams George Santos To His Face At State Of The Union: ‘You Shouldn’t Be Here’
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Will George Santos Resign Or Be Removed From Office?
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has since confirmed that Santos, 34, is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee amid the fallout from The Times’ report, and is currently suspended from serving on House Committees, telling CNN: “Ethics is moving through, and if ethics finds something, we’ll take action. Right now we’re not allowing him to be on committees from the standpoint of the questions that have arisen.”
McCarthy has so far not called for Santos to resign, after having previously said that his fate should be decided by voters. However, some fellow New York GOP freshmen think that he *should,* with Rep. Marc Molinaro, a New York GOP freshman, saying: “As I’ve said consistently, I think he ought to resign and really take stock of himself and start being honest, not only with the people he serves, but with himself.”
The #GOP allowed our political system to tank when trump’s circus came to DC.
Santos needs to be kicked out of DC and a special election needs to happen for a qualified candidate.
It’s shameful he’s still in office. https://t.co/PruIE0ZVrM— Gemma (@whosyourdandy22) February 12, 2023
According to CBS News, a Newsday/Siena College poll which was published on Tuesday, January 31st found that 78% of his constituents said he should resign, including 71% of Republicans. 83% of the 653 registered voters polled viewed him unfavorably, including 78% of GOP voters.
On Tuesday, February 7th, Santos told CNN he was “not concerned” about the House Ethics Committee investigation, or about New York constituents calling for him to resign. “You’re saying that the freedom of speech of my constituents is a distraction to my work?” he asked. “Do you think people are a distraction to the work I’m doing here?”
What Were Some Of The Things Santos Lied About?
Santos said he graduated from Baruch College in the top 1% of his class, as well as New York University’s Stern School of Business, but neither institution reportedly had any records of his enrolment, let alone graduation. He also claimed he worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, which again, the Times found to be untrue. After the truth was exposed, Santos then confessed to lying during his campaign, while also revealing that he hasn’t graduated college. He commented briefly on the matter, telling the New York Post: "I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume."
Santos also said he founded animal rescue organization Friends of Pets United, but The Times investigation found that it was not a registered tax-exempt organization. It did have at least one fundraiser in 2017, but the event’s beneficiary said they never received any of the proceeds.
Disabled Navy veteran Richard Osthoff says Rep. George Santos helped raise thousands of dollars for a cancer treatment for his therapy dog but never came through with the money.
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) January 19, 2023
Santos did not respond to NBC News but told Semafor News it is not true.pic.twitter.com/NKrTIduxAQ
The FBI is also reportedly investigating Santos' alleged role in a fundraiser for veteran Rich Osthoff's dying dog. Osthoff, who is disabled and was homeless, previously told CBS News that Santos helped him raise $3,000 for his service dog Sapphire through his pet charity, but alleged that he never received the money and she sadly passed away six months later.
Santos also claimed that he owned 13 rental properties that his family manage, but the pub found no records of property ownership in Santos’ name. On the contrary, the Times reported that Santos faced eviction notices at two properties he rented in Queens in 2015 and 2017, and owed more than $12,000 in unpaid rent.
George Santos Releases Statement After Stepping Down From House Committees
Earlier this month, it was announced that Santos will step down from serving on two committees in the US House of Representatives – the Small Business Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee – as a result of the investigation. He reportedly informed his colleagues at a closed-door meeting, telling them that he would step aside temporarily until his name was cleared. He also reportedly apologized to fellow Republicans for being a "distraction."
"The business of the 118th Congress must continue without media fanfare," he said in a statement at the time. "It is important that I primarily focus on serving the constituents of New York's Third Congressional District and providing federal level representation without distraction."
