The Ethics Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has opened an investigation Thursday to examine whether Republican Congressman George Santos engaged in illegal activities during his campaign in the 2022 legislative elections, after he admitted that he had lied about key aspects of his resume.
With the unanimous vote of the committee, an investigative panel has been established to glimpse if Santos »engaged in illegal activities» in his campaign for the lower house in the ‘midterm’ in November, if he did not properly disclose his statements filed with Congress, or if there is a conflict of interest because of his relationship in a trust services company, has reported ‘The Hill’.
In addition, the congressman — who has received pressure from the Republican Party to leave office — will be investigated in the face of accusations of sexual misconduct by a person who sought a job in his office.
If proven guilty, Santos could receive anything from a reprimand to expulsion from the House of Representatives, depending on the seriousness of the allegations, if proven.
Meanwhile, the congressman himself has published a statement on the social network Twitter in which he assures that he is »fully cooperating» in the investigation of the Ethics Committee.
Santos has admitted having invented details about his education, work, religion and heritage since his election as congressman in the last mid-term legislative elections held last November 8.
More specifically, the congressman has exaggerated or outright lied about both his professional and personal resume, with a false Jewish heritage linked to the Holocaust and a mother who supposedly died in the September 11, 2001 attacks, among other lies that have come to light.
After this, many voices within the Republican Party have called for Santos’ resignation, appealing that he has met »the highest standards of honesty and reliability» or that »it is not right to invent or lie for political interests», as reported in mid-January by the website Cleveland.
Still, a recent Newsday-Siena College poll, conducted in his New York district, showed that the vast majority of voters think Santos should resign.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
