There has been a growing chorus of calls for the resignation of House member George Santos. He is being investigated by both federal and local authorities for alleged campaign finance violations.
The newly elected congressman allegedly fabricated much of his resume before taking office. Santos has also been under scrutiny for his financial disclosures. According to a Washington Post article, he has ties to a sanctioned Russian oligarch.
Democrats have been urging Republican leaders to remove Santos from committees. They argue that he could become a liability to national security. However, the Republicans are worried that such a move would further delegitimize him as the GOP desperately tries to hold on to its slim majority
Santos is a Long Island-based representative (New York). His district has been a stronghold of the Democratic Party since 2010.
But some Republicans are arguing that he should not be seated on any committee. These members have argued that he certainly should not be on any committee that handles classified information.
In addition, Santos is facing a criminal investigation for his role in a stolen check book. The Nassau County District Attorney is currently investigating him.
Santos has faced a number of investigations from federal and local authorities in both New York and Brazil. Recently two of his Democratic colleagues filed complaints with the House Ethics Committee. Both said that Santos failed to uphold his duty of integrity.
Despite the calls to resign, Santos has been appointed to two committees. One is the House Small Business Committee, and the other is the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
Certainly many are going to find it interesting that the Republican party, which is often accused of promoting fake science, has put an alleged fake congressman on the Science Committee.
