Republican Rep. George Santos of New York has announced he will not seek reelection following a House Ethics Committee report finding “substantial evidence” he broke multiple laws.
The Republican-led panel found that Santos “blatantly stole from his campaign” and “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.”
The committee's findings were referred to prosecutors. (RELATED: Ethics Committee Finds ‘Substantial Evidence' Santos Broke Law)
Santos, 35, vehemently denies the charges and, until this morning, vowed to remain in office.
As CNBC reports:
Republican Rep. George Santos of New York said Thursday he will not seek reelection in 2024 in the wake of a damning House Ethics report that found “substantial evidence” of campaign fraud and other violations by the embattled congressman.
Among other things, the report alleges Santos used more than $4,000 in donor funds for a purchase at luxury clothing store Hermes and for “smaller purchases at OnlyFans,” the online cam-streaming site known for its adult content.
The full ethics panel, led by Republican Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, unanimously adopted the report and voted to refer its findings to the Department of Justice.
A spokeswoman for Santos' office, and his defense lawyer Joe Murray, did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment.
The committee also investigated allegations that Santos sexually assaulted a man seeking a job in his Washington office. Members could not verify the man's allegations and expressed doubts about his reliability.
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