‘A constant series of lies’: George Santos, who lied about being Jewish, says he won’t run again after House ethics report
Republicans and Democrats alike immediately said they would seek Santos’ expulsion before his term ends
New York Republican Rep. George Santos leaves the Capitol Hill Club in Washington D.C., Jan. 31, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
By Ron Kampeas November 16, 2023
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Ethics Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives found that Rep. George Santos, the Long Island Republican who lied about being Jewish, had likely committed “substantial violations of federal law.”
The committee referred its findings to the Department of Justice, where Santos is already under investigation. In response, Santos said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that he would serve out his term but would not run again. Republicans and Democrats alike immediately said they would seek his expulsion before then.
“Representative Santos sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit,” the bipartisan report published Thursday said.
Santos lied about his family history and life story on the campaign trail, and the report touched at times on those fabulist tendencies. But its focus was on the allegations of fraud that he now faces in a federal court.
“Representative Santos has been the subject of significant public reporting about his many alleged fabrications, including allegations that he has lied about his degrees, his religion, his work experience, his family, and numerous other aspects of his biography,” it said. “But Representative Santos’ lies go far beyond inaccuracies on a resume.”
It listed the many fraud allegations Santos faces. “He sustained all of this through a constant series of lies to his constituents, donors, and staff about his background and experience,” it said.
Amontg Santos’ many lies are that he is the descendants of Jews and Holocaust survivors. When the revelations came fast and furious after his election a year ago, many of his fellow Republicans, including Jewish Republicans, repudiated him and called on him to resign, citing his fabrications about Jewish ancestry among others.
Santos, who has remained defiant, blasted the committee in his statement after the report, but also said for the first time that he would not run again.
“I am humbled yet again and reminded that I am human and I have flaws, but I will not stand by as I am stoned by those who have flaws themselves,” he said. “I will continue on my mission to serve my constituents up until I am allowed. I will however NOT be seeking re-election for a second term in 2024 as my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time.”
That may not be soon enough for his colleagues. Reps. Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat who is Jewish, and Michael Guest, the Mississippi Republican who chairs the committee, separately said they would launch efforts to expel Santos.
Santos represents a swing district and a number of Democrats have already lined up to run to replace him.
This article originally appeared on JTA.org.
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