Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the brand new chair of the Home Oversight and Accountability Committee, mentioned embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., could be ousted from Congress if it is decided that he broke marketing campaign finance legal guidelines.
“I have not even launched myself to him as a result of it is fairly despicable the lies that he advised,” Comer mentioned on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “However on the finish of the day, it is less than me or some other member of Congress to find out whether or not he could possibly be kicked out for mendacity. Now if he broke marketing campaign finance legal guidelines, then he will probably be faraway from Congress.”
Comer made the remark when pressed on the rising requires Santos’s resignation.
After successful his election in November, Santos admitted to fabricating key components of his biography, together with his schooling and claimed work on Wall Avenue. However past that, Santos is accused of mendacity a couple of seemingly infinite string of different life story occasions, together with his supposed Jewish ancestry, relationships, the demise of his mom and rather more.
However essentially the most damning revelation could also be if Santos is discovered to have damaged marketing campaign finance legal guidelines. The New York Occasions and different retailers have unearthed uncommon marketing campaign spending that seems as if it was for Santos’s private use or in any other case, probably in violation of rules. There are additionally questions on how Santos collected sufficient of a fortune to lend his marketing campaign $705,000; in 2020, he reported making a wage of simply $55,000.
Federal and native prosecutors are investigating Santos to see if any crimes have been dedicated.
Santos has steadfastly refused to resign and denies any prison wrongdoing.
“He is a foul man. That is one thing that — it is actually unhealthy. He is not the primary politician, sadly, to make it Congress, to lie,” Comer mentioned Sunday.
“He will be underneath strict ethics investigations, not essentially for mendacity however for his marketing campaign finance potential violations,” he continued. “So I feel that Santos is being examined totally. It is his choice whether or not or not he ought to resign; it is not my choice. However actually I do not approve of how he made his method to Congress.”
The Home has the flexibility to expel a member with a two-thirds majority, although that energy has hardly ever been exercised in fashionable historical past. It is extra widespread for lawmakers to resign when dealing with such widespread condemnation.
For now, Republican leaders within the Home seem set to attend.
“The voters of his district have elected him. He’s seated. He’s a part of the Republican convention,” Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy said last week. “He will probably be held accountable, precisely as anyone else in his physique could be,” McCarthy added.
“It can play itself out,” Home GOP Convention Chair Elise Stefanik advised CNN.