WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) – U.S. Congressman George Santos, who lied about much of his resume and life story, will be removed from Congress if he is found to have violated campaign finance laws, said fellow Republican and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Sunday.
“He’s a bad guy,” Comer said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “It’s not up to me or any other member of Congress to determine whether he can be impeached for lying.” Now, if he violated campaign finance laws, then he will be removed from Congress.”
Santos has repeatedly refused to resign, despite mounting pressure within his own party to do so. On Thursday, he said he would vacate his New York district seat only if he loses the next election.
More than a dozen Republicans, many from Santos’ district, which includes parts of Queens and Long Island, have called for the congressman-elect’s resignation. At least six of his fellow New York Republicans have joined calls for him to step down.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he would leave Santos’ fate up to the ethics committee and voters.
Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman said he wrote on Sunday to McCarthy, Rep. Elise Stefanik, chairwoman of the Republican conference, and Dan Conston, head of the Congressional Leadership Fund, a fundraising group for House Republicans. regarding a New York Times report that they were aware of Santos’ fabrications ahead of the November election. He urged them to cooperate with any ethical investigation into the matter.
“It is one thing for a candidate like Mr. Santos to persuade voters to support him based on a web of lies,” Goldman wrote in his letter. “But it’s quite another if the upper levels of the Republican leadership knew about Mr. Santos’ lies during the campaign and chose to be complicit.”
McCarthy, Stefanik’s office and the Congressional Leadership Fund did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reporting by Doina Chiaku; Editing by Daniel Wallis
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