Congressman George Santos Will Not Seek 2nd Term Following House Ethics Committee Report

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) announced he will not seek reelection following a House Ethics Committee report released Thursday.

The Republican-led committee said Santos “violated criminal laws,” including “using campaign funds for personal purposes and filing false campaign reports,” NBC News reports.

🚨Just in: George Santos will not run for re-election in 2024. pic.twitter.com/qq8HmCnfPU

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) November 16, 2023

George Santos will not run for re-election.

A House Ethics Committee investigation found he used stolen campaign funds to purchase Botox treatments, OnlyFans subscriptions, designer goods, and lavish Atlantic City vacations. pic.twitter.com/KVVoNMZhaN

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 16, 2023

Per NBC News:

In its wide-ranging 56-page report, the Ethics subcommittee tasked with investigating Santos found “a complex web of unlawful activity involving Representative Santos’ campaign, personal, and business finances. Representative Santos sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.”

“He blatantly stole from his campaign. He deceived donors into providing what they thought were contributions to his campaign but were in fact payments for his personal benefit. He reported fictitious loans to his political committees to induce donors and party committees to make further contributions to his campaign—and then diverted more campaign money to himself as purported ‘repayments’ of those fictitious loans,” the report continues.

Santos “used his connections to high-value donors and other political campaigns” to enrich himself, the report contends. “And he sustained all of this through a constant series of lies to his constituents, donors, and staff about his background and experience,” it says.

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The Ethics Committee said it is referring its findings, including “uncharged” conduct, to the Justice Department. It did not make a recommendation to the House.

The DOJ has already charged Santos on multiple federal counts, including identity theft, money laundering and theft of public funds. He is set to go on trial in September and has pleaded not guilty.

“I wish the house was as focused on how many billions are being stolen in the Ukraine as they are on what George Santos spent on only fans. Sadly, they will never focus on the things that matter,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote.

I wish the house was as focused on how many billions are being stolen in the Ukraine as they are on what George Santos spent on only fans. Sadly, they will never focus on the things that matter. https://t.co/1plEesYkaz

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 16, 2023

“The House is really going to expel George Santos before they impeach Joe Biden. Why do we even have Republicans?” Joey Mannarino asked.

https://twitter.com/JoeyMannarinoUS/status/1725177681656873389

“I will remain steadfast in fighting for my rights and for defending my name in the face of adversity. I am humbled yet again and reminded that I am human and I have flaws, but I will not stand by as I am stoned by those who have flaws themselves. I will continue on my mission to serve my constituents up until I am allowed,” Santos wrote.

“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,” he added.

If there was a single ounce of ETHICS in the “Ethics committee”, they would have not released this biased report. The Committee went to extraordinary lengths to smear myself and my legal team about me not being forthcoming (My legal bills suggest otherwise).

It is a disgusting…

— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) November 16, 2023

Read George Santos’ full comments:

If there was a single ounce of ETHICS in the “Ethics committee”, they would have not released this biased report. The Committee went to extraordinary lengths to smear myself and my legal team about me not being forthcoming (My legal bills suggest otherwise).

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.

We the People desperately need an Article V Constitutional Convention.

We are quickly approaching $34 trillion dollars in debt, the government is continuously on the verge of a shutdown, our southern border is wide open, our current President is the head of an influence peddling crime family, and all this Congress wants to do is attack their political enemies with tit for tat unconstitutional censures, impeachments, expulsions and ethics investigations. THE TIME IS NOW FOR THE STATES TO RISE UP AND COMMENCE AN ARTICLE V CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION!

I’ve come to expect vitriol like this from political opposition but not from the hallowed halls of public service.

I will remain steadfast in fighting for my rights and for defending my name in the face of adversity. I am humbled yet again and reminded that I am human and I have flaws, but I will not stand by as I am stoned by those who have flaws themselves. I will continue on my mission to serve my constituents up until I am allowed. 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.

Public service life was never a goal or a dream, but I stepped up to the occasion when I felt my country needed it most. I will 100% continue to maintain my commitment to my conservative values in my remaining time in Congress.

NEW: House Ethics report recommends criminal referral for Rep. George Santos:
— Knowingly caused his campaign to file false reported with the FEC
— Used campaign funds for personal gain
— Committed fraud
— Willfully violated the Ethics in Govt Act over his Financial Disclosures pic.twitter.com/fhW96gTSut

— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) November 16, 2023

From the House Ethics Committee report: