Embattled Lengthy Island Rep. George Santos is the topic of an ethics investigation, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy confirmed Tuesday.
McCarthy mentioned the probe was underway in opposition to Santos on CNN. The revelation got here precisely per week after Santos mentioned he was recusing himself from two committees.
If the ethics investigation finds proof of wrongdoing, Santos may face expulsion from Congress.
“Ethics is moving through, and if ethics finds something, we’ll take action,” McCarthy told CNN. “Right now we’re not allowing him to be on committees from the standpoint of the questions that have arisen.”
Santos’s spokesperson, Naysa Woomer, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Santos informed CNN reporters that he’s “not concerned” about an ethics probe.
An ethics criticism had been filed in opposition to Santos final month by Reps. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx and Dan Goldman of Manhattan/Brooklyn. Of their criticism, they allege Santos handed in unverified monetary disclosure varieties tied to earnings from the Devolder Group.
“He earned millions of dollars from clients but he never disclosed the names of those clients on his congressional financial disclosure, as required by federal law,” Torres in an interview on “The Brian Lehrer Show” on Jan. 10. “So we’re calling on the ethics committee to investigate him for likely falsifying his congressional disclosure.”
The submitting of the ethics criticism got here on the heels of one other criticism filed by the Marketing campaign Authorized Middle to the Federal Election Fee accusing Santos of violating marketing campaign finance legal guidelines, together with disclosure guidelines.
Santos has confronted backlash from voters after fabricating elements of his biography on the marketing campaign path final 12 months.