House Ethics Committee to Investigate George Santos

The formal probe will determine if Santos engaged in illegal activity in his Congressional campaign.

The formal probe will determine if Santos engaged in illegal activity in his Congressional campaign.

New York Congressional Representative George Santos has remained the subject of ongoing controversy since being elected to his position last year after it came to light that a large portion of personal history and political resume had been provably fabricated. These controversies have prompted numerous calls for Santos to resign, as well as calls for investigations into his activities.

This week, the House Ethics Committee announced that they would be launching a formal probe into Santos’ activities. According to a press release, this investigation will serve to determine if Santos “may have engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; 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.”

In a statement to CNN back in Februrary, Santos seemed unconcerned with potential investigations or calls from New York residents to resign. “You’re saying that the freedom of speech of my constituents is a distraction to my work?” Santos said. “Do you think people are a distraction to the work I’m doing here?”

According to a Siena College poll, 66% of New Yorkers on both sides of the political divide believe Santos should resign from his position. “The ‘good’ news for Santos is that even in these hyper partisan times, he’s found a way to get Democrats, Republicans and independents to agree about a political figure,” pollster Steven Greenberg said about the survey. “The bad news for Santos is that the political figure they agree on is him, and they overwhelmingly view him unfavorably.”