Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves a House GOP conference meeting on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Jan. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
By Lisa Mascaro
The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday it is launching an investigation into embattled Republican Rep. George Santos, the New York congressman whose lies and embellishments about his resume and personal life have drawn deep scrutiny in Congress.
The bipartisan leaders of the committee announced the panel had voted unanimously to establish an investigative subcommittee to look into the allegations. The panel voted to take action on Tuesday.
The investigation appears to be far reaching. It seeks to determine “whether Representative George Santos may have: engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign” among other actions, the committee said in a statement.
The probe will review whether Santos "failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House, violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services, and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office," the statement said.
Panel leaders — Republican Rep. David Joyce of Ohio and Democratic Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania — will lead the probe, with two other lawmakers from each party.
Santos had already removed himself from his committee assignments but otherwise has refused calls from Republicans in New York to step down from office.
"The Committee notes that the mere fact of establishing an Investigative Subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred," the statement said.
Asa Hutchinson, who recently completed two terms as Arkansas governor, said Sunday he will seek the Republican presidential nomination, positioning himself as an alternative to Donald Trump just days after the former president was indicted by a grand jury in New York.
Prosecutors say Donald Trump conspired to undermine the 2016 election through a series of hush money payments designed to stifle claims that could be harmful to his candidacy.
He is expected to be joined in Florida by supporters as he tries to project an image of strength and defiance and turn the charges into a political asset to boost his 2024 presidential campaign.
Board members picked by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to oversee the governance of Walt Disney World said Wednesday that their Disney-controlled predecessors pulled a fast one on them by passing restrictive covenants that strip the new board of many of its powers.
The federal government has filed a lawsuit against railroad Norfolk Southern over environmental damage caused by a train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that spilled hazardous chemicals.
The charges in the indictment, made by a Manhattan grand jury, center on payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter.
