The House Ethics Committee has unanimously voted to launch an investigation into U.S. Representative George Santos (R-NY) over allegations of financial and sexual misconduct. The 10-member committee, evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, will now entrust the fate of the embattled congressman to a four-member subcommittee led by U.S. Representative David Joyce (R-OH), which is also evenly divided between the two parties.
The investigation will look into whether the congressman’s required financial disclosures as a candidate contained illegal omissions or conflicts of interest, as well as an allegation of unwanted sexual advances made by an applicant to his congressional office. Santos released a statement on Twitter saying, “The House Committee on Ethics has opened an investigation, and Congressman George Santos is fully cooperating. There will be no further comment made at this time.”
Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), who along with U.S. Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY), filed the initial complaint against Santos, tweeted that the investigation is one step closer to holding its “most corrupt member” accountable. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has previously stated that action may be taken against Santos based on the outcome of the Ethics Committee investigation.
The investigation will likely prove to be a challenging time for Santos, as he faces the potential of losing his position in Congress and damaging his political reputation. The investigation may also bring to light other issues within the political system, highlighting the importance of ethical behavior in politics.
