Santos steps down from House panels amid ethics points

Amid a number of ethics points, Republican Rep. George Santos of New York introduced Tuesday he’s quickly stepping down from his two congressional committees.

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves a House GOP convention assembly on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 25, 2023. Santos informed colleagues in a closed-door assembly Tuesday that he’s quickly stepping down from his two congressional committees. (AP Photo)

By Associated Press: Republican Rep. George Santos of New York introduced Tuesday he’s quickly stepping down from his two congressional committees, a transfer that comes amid a number of ethics points and a day after he met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Santos has confronted quite a few requires his resignation and is going through a number of investigations by prosecutors over his private and marketing campaign funds and lies about his resume and household background.

Santos was assigned to 2 pretty low-profile panels, the House Committee on Small Business and to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Still, his arrival has left GOP management continuously answering questions concerning the congressman relatively than about their priorities for the approaching months.

In a ready assertion, Santos mentioned he needed to deal with serving his constituents “without distraction.”

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“I want to personally thank Speaker McCarthy for meeting with me to discuss the matter and allowing me to take time to properly clear my name before returning to my committees,” Santos mentioned. “To my constituents, I remain committed to serving the district, and delivering results for both New York’s Third Congressional District and for the American people.”

Before issuing the assertion, Santos addressed Republican lawmakers in a weekly closed-door assembly they’ve when in Washington. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., mentioned the choice was well-received from the GOP convention. “I think it was the appropriate thing to do and I was proud of him for getting up and doing this,” Cole mentioned.

McCarthy met with Santos on Monday evening however didn’t disclose their dialog.

“You’ll see,” McCarthy informed reporters on the Capitol.

The questions surrounding Santos transcend his misrepresentations to voters to incorporate whether or not his congressional marketing campaign adopted the legislation in its reporting to the Federal Election Commission. There have been lingering questions on irregularities in his marketing campaign committee’s monetary reviews and the supply of Santos’ wealth.

If Santos’ marketing campaign is discovered to have knowingly and willfully made any “materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation” on its paperwork, it may probably face legal fees, the FEC mentioned in a letter to the marketing campaign final week.

Republicans described the choice by Santos to quickly step down from the 2 House panels as voluntary. Rep. Roger Williams of Texas, the chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, mentioned he was stunned.

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“The bottom line is that he’s chosen to be off committees until his situation gets handled at a level that he’s comfortable with,” Williams mentioned.

Democrats have been extremely essential of Santos in addition to McCarthy for his efforts to oust three Democratic lawmakers from committees, whereas on the similar time backing committee assignments for Santos, who has lied so completely to his constituents about his background.

“The hypocrisy just grabs you by the throat,” mentioned Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. “This is a Republican speaker who is seating a human fraud, George Santos, on committees, a serial fabricator about every part of his existence.”

McCarthy blocked Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., from being re-appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, although they may have the ability to serve on different committees. He’s additionally dedicated to eradicating Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from serving on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, although such a transfer would come to the total House for a vote, the place undoubtedly Democrats would renew questions concerning the propriety of permitting Santos to take a seat on committees as their members are being eliminated.

Late Tuesday, House Republicans put in movement a course of towards ousting Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, as soon as she is formally seated on the panel for the brand new Congress. A vote by Republicans on a decision to take away Omar from the committee may come as quickly as Wednesday.

McCarthy has little margin for error if he chooses to pursue her expulsion for remarks McCarthy has described as antisemitic relating to Israel. Omar has apologized, and mentioned in a CNN interview Sunday she “might have used words at the time that I didn’t understand were trafficking in antisemitism.”

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Shortly after Omar arrived in Congress in 2019, the House permitted a decision condemning antisemitism and different types of bigotry — with out mentioning her by title — after she made remarks that critics mentioned accused Israel supporters of getting twin allegiances.

At least two Republicans had mentioned they gained’t vote for Omar’s elimination from the overseas affairs panel. They mentioned Democrats have been within the unsuitable for eradicating Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., from their committees two years in the past. And Republicans have been making an analogous mistake when it got here to Omar.

“It’s just wrong,” mentioned Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo. “Let’s stop ruining this place. Let’s make it better.”

But McCarthy seemed to be profitable over some GOP skeptics. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., mentioned beforehand “two wrongs do not make a right” in the case of ousting Omar. She issued a press release Tuesday reversing course and stating she would assist a elimination decision after McCarthy expressed his willingness so as to add due course of provisions.

“I think setting a precedent of allowing an appeal process for the Speaker’s and majority-party removal decisions is particularly important to freedom-loving legislators who usually are on the receiving end of issues like this,” Spartz mentioned.

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Published On:

Feb 1, 2023