Thursday, November 16th witnessed the release of The House Ethics Committee’s report on the inquiry into Representative George Santos, a Republican from New York. The report divulged that Santos used campaign funds to cover expenses such as Botox, OnlyFans, Sephora, credit card debt, meals, parking, and a purchase at the upscale store Hermes.
Furthermore, the report concluded that he did so with full awareness. View the complete report here.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), the committee chairman, and Susan Wild (D-Pa.), the senior Democrat, jointly communicated their stance in a combined statement: “Representative Santos’ behavior warrants public censure, is beneath the dignity of the office, and has severely discredited the House.”
Santos promptly reacted to the report with an extensive posting on X, previously known as Twitter. The Republican Representative branded the investigation as a “repulsive politicized smear that illustrates the depths of how low our federal government has sunk.”
He also stated that he would not seek reelection for a second term in 2024, although previously declaring he would, and vowed to “uphold my conservative principles throughout my remaining tenure in Congress.” Santos gave up all his committee assignments in January.
Rep. Guest is set to present a motion to remove Santos on Friday morning, as per The Washington Post. The House will consider the motion when it reconvenes from the holiday break on November 28th.
In the last 50 years, only two members of the House have been expelled, and both were convicted of a crime. Santos was charged by federal prosecutors in May with 13 counts, including defrauding his donors. A later indictment in October saw him charged with an additional 10 counts, including misusing donors’ credit cards. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Meanwhile, the internet seized the chance to ridicule George Santos, alleging he was being accused of “crimes of divahood.”