WASHINGTON — Congressman George Santos, RN.Y., said Tuesday he will step down from his committee assignments amid multiple ongoing investigations into his finances and other issues.
“With the continued attention surrounding my personal and campaign finance investigations, I have submitted a request to Chairman McCarthy to be temporarily removed from my commission duties until I am relieved,” Santos said in a statement.
“It was a decision I take very seriously,” he added. “The 118th Congress must proceed without media fanfare. It is important that I remain primarily focused on serving the constituents of New York’s Third Congressional District and ensuring representation at the federal level without distraction.”
Santos, who admitted he lied about much of his background and faced numerous calls to resign from Congress, was given seats on the House Small Business and Science committees. He told reporters on Tuesday that he was not considering leaving the post.
He shared his decision during a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning with the House GOP conference, Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, RN.Y., told reporters at a press conference afterward.
But Santos hasn’t gone far enough in the eyes of two fellow Republicans representing Long Island’s congressional districts.
“It’s a classic case of someone leaving right before they’re fired,” he said. Reps. Nick LaLotta and Anthony D’Esposito in a joint statement. “While we and the vast percentage of Long Islanders we represent are relieved to see that Santos will not serve on committees undeservedly, he must still do the right thing and resign.” This is in the best interest of his constituents and the Republican House.”
In a poll released Tuesday by Newsday and Siena College, 71 percent of voters in Santos’ district said Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., should not have seated Santos on the two committees, and 78 percent said they thought he should resign from Congress. Asked Tuesday if Santos should step down, Stefanik said “the process will play itself out” in the next election.
Santos is being investigated by the Nassau County District Attorney and federal prosecutors in New York. Law enforcement sources said federal authorities are looking into his finances, including potential irregularities involving financial disclosures and loans he made to his campaign. The state attorney general’s office also said it was “looking into a number of issues” regarding Santos.
The embattled congressman met with McCarthy on Monday night. Speaking to reporters separately on Tuesday, McCarthy said Santos had asked the speaker if he could relinquish his committee assignments. “I think it was the right decision,” McCarthy said.
Santos told reporters Tuesday that McCarthy had not requested the recusal. “No one is telling me to do anything. I made the decision myself,” he said.
The GOP Steering Committee, which is chaired by McCarthy and assigns assignments to committees, voted earlier this month to give Santos seats on the panels, which are two of the lower-profile ones on Capitol Hill.
“The voters elected him, and he will have a voice here in Congress, and until he answers all these questions, then he will be able to sit on committees,” McCarthy said of the investigations Santos is facing.
Members of both parties have expressed concern that Santos has access to classified information through his committee work. At the same time, all lawmakers may periodically attend classified briefings, such as those provided by administration officials.
Last week, McCarthy said that while he stood by Santos, the incoming congressman would be removed from office if the House Ethics Committee found he broke the law.
Santos first came under scrutiny after The New York Times published a bombshell investigation in December that showed much of his resume appeared to be fabricated, including claims that he owned multiple properties and was previously employed by Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and graduated from Baruch College. He also lied about his mother being at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The congressman has repeatedly said he plans to explain the discrepancies, but has not followed through on those promises.
Rebecca Shabad
Rebecca Shabad is a political reporter for NBC News based in Washington, DC.
Scott Wong
Scott Wong is a senior congressional reporter for NBC News.
Haley Talbot
Haley Talbot is an associate producer in the NBC News Washington bureau.
Summer Concepcion and Ryan Nobles contributed.
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