The Republican chairman of the Home Ethics Committee launched a decision Friday to expel Rep. Jorge Santos from Congress after a damning report accused the scandal-plagued Republican freshman of marketing campaign fraud and theft.

Rep. Michael Visitor, R-Miss., chairman of the ethics committee, mentioned the proof uncovered by the committee’s investigation of Santos was “ample to warrant punishment.”

“Probably the most acceptable punishment is expulsion,” Visitor mentioned in a press release. “So, along with the committee course of and my function as chair, I’m submitting a decision of expulsion.”

The decision will not be voted on till someday after the Home’s Thanksgiving recess on Nov. 28.

Santos has introduced he won’t search re-election in 2024, though he blasted the ethics report as a “politicized smear marketing campaign”. On Thursday night time, he introduced that he would maintain a press convention on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on November 30.

The embattled New York congressman has been ousted twice earlier than for mendacity and alleged marketing campaign finance crimes. Republicans maintain a slim majority within the Home and want help from two-thirds of lawmakers to expel a member.

However following the discharge of Thursday’s ethics report, lots of Santos’ Republican colleagues who beforehand voted to maintain him in Congress introduced they now help efforts to oust him.

The 56-page report discovered that Santos, 35, “tried to fraudulently exploit numerous facets of his candidacy for the Home of Representatives for private monetary acquire.”

The report mentioned Santos “blatantly stole cash from the marketing campaign,” defrauding donors and submitting false marketing campaign loans whereas sustaining a “collection of lies” about his background and expertise.

Santos allegedly used funds from his marketing campaign to “get wealthy,” together with spending greater than $4,000 at luxurious clothes retailer Hermes and purchasing on the grownup video web site OnlyFans.

“I did not vote to expel George prior to now as a result of I did not imagine in due course of,” Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colorado, mentioned Thursday on MSNBC. “However I believe he is been given honest due course of now.”

The ethics committee voted to refer the report’s findings to the Justice Division.

Santos’ brief tenure in Congress has been shrouded in scandal. After profitable races in Queens and elements of Nassau County, Santos admitted to mendacity about his enterprise and academic background.

He has denied numerous different allegations of wrongdoing. However he has since been indicted in a collection of costs in New York federal court docket, accused of crimes together with identification theft, wire fraud and falsifying information. Santos has pleaded not responsible to all costs.

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