George Santos Won’t Seek Reelection Following Ethics Report

Facts

• Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has announced that he will not seek reelection in 2024 following the release of a House Ethics Committee report concluding that the politician had “fraudulently exploit[ed] every aspect of his House candidacy for his own financial profit.”¹
• Santos, 35, has already pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing him of laundering money to fund personal expenses, as well as charging bank cards of campaign donors without permission. Santos was elected for the first time in 2022.²
• Santos had claimed earlier in the year that, despite his charges, he would continue to seek reelection next year. Writing on X, however, the representative stated that his latest decision had been made as his family “deserves better than to be under the gun from the press,” with his lawyer dismissing the report as a 'hit piece.'³
• Santos was initially charged with 13 offenses before a further 10 were added. Santos’ campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to defraud the federal government, while his fundraiser Sam Miele pleaded guilty earlier this week to wire fraud.⁴
• Santos’ trial is expected to begin next year. The report claims that, alongside Santos’ preexisting charges, the committee found new evidence of “alleged violations” — including accusations that he used campaign funds for personal travel and cosmetics — that it would pass onto the Department of Justice.⁵
• While the House Ethics Committee didn't recommend a formal sanction against Santos, committee chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) announced that he would introduce a resolution onto the House floor aimed at expelling the representative from his public office.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Reuters, ³CBS, ⁴Forbes, ⁵NPR Online News and ⁶ABC News.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by The Daily Beast. Whether it be trivial, strange, or grave matters, Santos’ entire life story is saturated in deceit. The representative's web of lies is astonishingly broad and diverse, as outlined by the House’s report. He must be voted out.
• Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. Santos, like every American, is owed due process. There's a reason why no representative has been expelled during an ongoing trial. To remove Santos is to set a bad precedent, and his fate will be determined by the justice system in due course.