US House Ethics Committee opens Santos investigation

The US House Ethics Committee on Thursday announced that it had opened what could be a far-reaching investigation into George Santos, a first-year Republican representative from New York.

Santos has been under fire since being elected when The New York Times picked up on claims that he lied about many aspects of his life on the campaign trail ranging from his education and family to his work history and income.

The lies, which have grown exponentially, were first uncovered by journalists at the tiny North Shore Leader newspaper on Long Island, Santos' home district.

The Ethics Committee on Thursday said it would seek to determine whether Santos, "may have engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign."

A committee statement suggested that other actions would also be looked at, for instance, whether he, "failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House, violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services, and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office."

What will be under investigation?

The investigation will be led by Republican David Joyce of Ohio and Democrat Susan Wild of Pennsylvania. Four other members, two from each party, serve on the Ethics Committee. All voted in favor of opening an investigation.

Thursday's statement made clear that "establishing an Investigative Subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred."

Ultimately, the committee's actions can range from a letter of reprimand or recommendations of censure, fines or expulsion from the House of Representatives.

Expulsion is extremely rare, having happened only five times in US history. It would also require a two-thirds vote in the 435-person chamber, something that is highly unlikely given the current balance of power and the politics behind it. Republicans currently hold 222 seats in the House of Representatives compared to 212 seats for Democrats and one seat remains vacant. 

Despite growing calls to step down after admitting to "embellishing my resume," Santos has refused to do so. He did, however, step down from his own committee assignments amid the swirling controversy.

Santos is currently under investigation by a Long Island prosecutor examing whether the politician defrauded his supporters. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is also looking into allegations of campaign finance fraud.

Claims of personal fortune could have consequences for Santos

Santos' claims that he was Jewish, that his grandparents had been Holocaust survivors and that his mother had been killed in the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 — none of which were true — could pale in terms of consequences to questions surrounding his claims of personal wealth.

Among the many lies Santos told were several involving his employment. Claims that he worked as an investment broker at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have been proven false and he has a record of financial trouble and evictions.

After losing his election bid for Congress in 2020 — at which time he listed no assets and an annual income at $55,000 (€51,890) — Santos said his personal wealth ballooned to an annual salary of $750,000.

Beyond income from his own new firm, the Devolder Organization — based on the name he used until running for Congress — he also claimed to have savings of up to $5 million and a home in Brazil worth $1 million. The company Santos claimed to be selling investments in at the time has been accused by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of being a fraudulent Ponzi scheme.

The first-term congressman purports to have loaned $705,000 of his own money to his campaign, yet he has never explained where the money was supposed to have come from.

js/sms (AP, Reuters)