Lying Long Island Rep. George Santos exploited “every aspect” of his successful 2022 House campaign for personal gain, according to a damning new report from the House Ethics Committee released Thursday.
An hour after the report was published, the 35-year-old announced he would not seek re-election next year, writing on X that “my family deserves better than being under pressure from the press all the time.”
“I will not stand still while those who also have defects stone me,” Santos wrote.
The ethics panel did not make specific recommendations on actions against Santos, already charged, but did refer its evidence to the Department of Justice.
The committee emphatically declared that “the Republican legislator cannot be trusted” and that his conduct “deserves public condemnation, is beneath the dignity of the office, and has brought serious discredit to the House.”
Santos had been under investigation by the 10-member ethics panel since February. He has been adamant that he will not resign from Congress despite the findings against him.
Earlier this month, Santos survived an expulsion effort championed by six of his fellow New York House Republicans.
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) speaks to reporters as he leaves the Capitol after a series of votes, November 15, 2023. REUTERS
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), who chairs the ethics committee, said Thursday that he plans to file another motion to expel Santos, which the House is expected to consider after the Thanksgiving recess.
In his lengthy response to the report, Santos fumed that the Ethics Committee “did everything possible to defame me and my legal team for my lack of communication (my legal bills suggest otherwise).
“It is a disgusting politicized smear that shows how far our federal government has fallen.” added. “Everyone who participated in this serious miscarriage of justice should be ashamed of themselves.”
Campaign finance violations
Santos recently announced that he would not seek reelection next year, writing in X that “my family deserves better than being under pressure from the press all the time.” REUTERS representative Michael Guest (right), who chairs the Ethics Committee, predicted that the report could revive attempts to oust Santos before his term ends. fake images
Publicly, Santos has blamed his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, for submitting false reports to the Federal Election Commission.
But the panel concluded that “Santos was very involved in the daily financial operations of his campaign.”
“All campaign staff [investigative subcommittee] “The person I spoke with testified that Representative Santos had a close relationship with Ms. Marks,” the report says.
Some employees raised questions with Santos about Marks’ punctuality and reporting practices, but Santos allegedly ignored that and deemed her “‘untouchable,’ apparently to continue with the plans they had undertaken.”
Marks has since pleaded guilty to fraud conspiracy and last month told prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York that she and Santos falsified financial reports to say the representative loaned his own campaign $500,000, even though his bank accounts registered less than $8,000 at the time. time.
Publicly, Santos has blamed his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, for submitting false reports to the Federal Election Commission. Dennis Clark Santos had been under investigation by the 10-member ethics panel since February. AP
The former treasurer also said she provided the FEC with a false list of donors to the Santos campaign.
The Long Island lawmaker faces a 23-count indictment, including charges of embezzlement and lying to Congress.
He has denied many of the allegations or insisted that he made innocent mistakes and that prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York have been tough.
Santos has also publicly insisted that he was unfamiliar with the FEC filing system, but the report cited emails in which he asked Marks why “certain deposits were not reported in the campaign’s FEC reports.” .
In one of the most surprising findings, investigators alleged that Santos received at least $200,000 during 2022 from a Florida-based company, RedStone Strategies, where he was “CEO,” which allegedly offered “political services,” including “digital consulting.” and fundraising” as well as “compliance consulting.”
In an egregious example of self-dealing, Santos told a campaign staffer in April of that year to wire $6,000 to RedStone, telling the person, “It’s for ads we were supposed to pay for and I forgot.”
The $6,000 was then sent to Santos’ checking account, which investigators say had only $136.93 at the time, and was used to pay off the then-House candidate’s credit card balances.
That October, $50,000 sent to RedStone by two Santos taxpayers was sent to its account and used, among other items, for “a $4,127.80 purchase at Hermes; and for minor purchases on Only Fans; Zipporah; and for meals and parking,” the report says.
When the ethics panel began its investigation, Santos publicly promised: “I will comply 100%.”
“Despite his public assurances, Representative Santos provided documents limited to [investigators]often after long delays,” the report says.
The Long Island lawmaker faces a 23-count indictment, including charges of embezzlement and lying to Congress.REUTERS
“While it is not uncommon for respondents to require additional time to gather information to respond to the Committee’s requests, it is clear to the [investigative subcommittee] that Representative Santos’ claim that he would cooperate with the investigation was simply another falsehood.”
The outstanding material that investigators still want from Santos includes internal communications with his staff during his 2020 and 2022 campaigns, a statement attesting to the accuracy of the material he has provided and his personal testimony.
sexual misconduct
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In rare good news for Santos, investigators dismissed allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct against a man who briefly worked in his congressional office.
That anonymous individual, who was dubbed “Witness 10” in the report but who publicly identified himself as former journalist Derek Myers, had his employment terminated on February 1, reportedly due to concerns “about charges of wiretapping by serious crimes pending at that time against him. “
Two days later, Myers filed a complaint alleging that Santos had engaged in sexual misconduct days earlier while “reviewing constituent mail.”
According to Myers, Santos initially invited him to karaoke with other staff members. When the assistant refused, Santos allegedly touched Myers’ groin and told him, “My husband is out of town tonight if you want to come.”
In the end, investigators “were unable to substantiate this allegation” and found witness testimony that contradicted the accusations.
Additionally, the investigative subcommittee found concerns about Myers’ motivation and credibility, citing inconsistencies in his testimony.
Conflicts of interest
Another area of concern for investigators was Santos’ consulting firm Devolder Organization LLC.
Congressional rules prohibit members from “receiving[ing] compensation for joining or being an employee of a company… or other entity that provides professional services involving a fiduciary relationship.”
“Because Representative Santos has not meaningfully cooperated with the… review, [investigators were] unable to determine whether the Devolder Organization has provided fiduciary services since Representative Santos began serving in Congress,” the report reads.
Earlier this month, Santos survived an expulsion effort championed by six of his fellow New York House Republicans. REUTERS
Investigators also raised concerns about Santos’ legal counsel, Joseph Murray, who may have had a personal and professional relationship with Marks and an employee in Santos’ office.
“This individual was the office manager of Mr. Murray’s law firm, while also serving as a constituent services representative in the district office,” the report says.
“He [committee] “I did not receive any information as to whether the individual’s employment was intended to provide any form of compensation for the criminal defense services of Representative Santos’ attorney.”
Santos has been embroiled in controversy following revelations late last year that he lied about vast areas of his personal history, including his education, previous employment and family background.
“George Santos has disgraced the institution of the United States House of Representatives and misled the neighbors who make up his Congressional district,” Nassau Republican Party Chairman Joe Cairo told The Post in a statement. “The Nassau County Republican Committee has repeatedly stated that Mr. Santos has no future in the Nassau Republican Party. “Furthermore, the Nassau Republican Party supports the expulsion of George Santos in the best interest of Congress and the voters of the 3rd District.”
Additional reporting by Carl Campanile
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Source: vtt.edu.vn