Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has recused himself from serving on any House committees, according to several reports.
The scandal-plagued freshman told House Republicans that he’ll be taking a step back because “he’s a distraction,” an anonymous lawmaker told the Washington Post. The announcement was made in a closed GOP conference on Tuesday morning.
He will reportedly be stepping down from his assignments on the House Small Business Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee, CNN reported.
The embattled congressman has become the subject of several investigations since his resume was exposed as fraudulent back in December. Soon after the New York Times’ original exposé, local prosecutors in New York began conducting criminal probes to see whether he committed any financial crimes. Meanwhile, Brazilian authorities revived an alleged check fraud case from 2008, which has been stagnant since Santos allegedly fled to the United States.
Most recently he’s fallen under the eye of federal authorities as well: Last week, the Washington Post revealed that the Justice Department asked the Federal Election Commission to hold off on any enforcement actions against Santos. The FEC and DOJ are reportedly conducting parallel investigations. The DOJ also requested that the regulatory agency share any documents it has that might be relevant to Santos’ campaign finances.
This story is developing.
