Santos has constantly refused calls to step down amid scrutiny of false claims about his private {and professional} historical past.
An ethics panel in the US Home of Representatives is investigating a Republican Congressman over a litany of falsehoods about his schooling, occupation, cultural background and monetary dealings which have attracted scrutiny since his election in 2022.
The Home Ethics Committee made the announcement on Thursday and its probe seems to be vast in scope. Santos has constantly mentioned he won’t heed calls to resign from workplace.
The investigation will search to find out whether or not Santos “engaged in illegal exercise with respect to his 2022 congressional marketing campaign; did not correctly disclose required data on statements filed with the Home; violated federal battle of curiosity legal guidelines in connection along with his function in a agency offering fiduciary providers; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct in the direction of a person in search of employment in his congressional workplace”, the committee mentioned in a assertion.
The congressman has beforehand admitted to fabricating key particulars about his skilled and private background. Primarily based on its findings, the panel may advocate penalties comparable to a high-quality or formal censure.
The committee’s assertion notes that “the mere truth of creating an Investigative Subcommittee doesn’t itself point out that any violation has occurred”.
Santos falsely claimed he held a level from Baruch School in New York and that he had labored at monetary teams like Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. He additionally acknowledged that his grandparents had “fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and once more fled persecution throughout WWII”.
A Jewish information outlet, The Ahead, forged doubt on these claims, prompting Santos to say that he by no means claimed to be Jewish, solely “Jew-ish”, in a broadly panned remark.
The congressman additionally faces questions on his monetary historical past however has constantly pushed again in opposition to calls that he resign from workplace, regardless of strain to take action from Democrats and members of his personal social gathering.
Earlier this month, Santos introduced he would briefly step down from his two committee assignments: one on small enterprise and the opposite on science, area and expertise.
In a press release on the time, Santos mentioned he remained “dedicated to serving the district, and delivering outcomes for each New York’s Third Congressional District and for the American individuals”.
