Republican Representative George Santos has made the decision not to seek reelection to the House of Representatives next year. This announcement follows the release of a long-awaited report by the Ethics Committee on Thursday. The report concluded that there is “substantial evidence” indicating that the New York congressman improperly used campaign funds for personal purposes.
The Ethics Committee’s investigation uncovered additional instances of “uncharged and unlawful conduct” by Santos that extend beyond the existing criminal allegations against him. As a result, these new allegations will be promptly referred to the Justice Department for further examination.
According to the committee’s findings, Santos engaged in “knowing and willful violations” regarding financial disclosure statements filed with the House. Additionally, he “knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission.”
The committee’s overall assessment is that Santos “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.”
In response to the release of the report, George Santos announced that he will not pursue reelection. Despite his decision, he maintained a defiant stance and criticized the investigation, characterizing it as a “biased report.”
Santos expressed his perspective, stating, “It is a disgusting politicized smear that shows the depths of how low our federal government has sunk. Everyone who participated in this grave miscarriage of justice should all be ashamed of themselves.” He also added, “I will, however, NOT be seeking re-election for a second term in 2024, as my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time.”