Long Island Republican Rep. George Santos is facing charges in multiple jurisdictions over alleged financial misdeeds, lies about his biography, and other complaints. The 34-year-old congressman from Long Island and Queens is expected to turn himself in for arraignment on Wednesday morning at the federal district courthouse in Central Islip, New York.
Santos has been embroiled in scandal since taking office, with accusations of lying about his college degrees and work experience, violating campaign finance and conflict of interest laws, falsely claiming that his grandparents survived the Holocaust, and creating a fake animal charity he used to siphon away cash meant for a veteran's dying dog.
Despite these controversies surrounding him, Santos has filed paperwork to run for another two-year term. Some fellow Republicans have not been as supportive; Rep Nicole Malliotakis told CNN she would "love to see someone new run in the district."
The nature of the charges against Santos remains unclear as they are under seal. However, he has admitted to fabricating details about having Jewish ancestry, a Wall Street background, college degrees and a history as a star volleyball player.
Democrats along with some Republican colleagues have called for Santos' resignation but he refuses to do so while announcing his plans to run for reelection in 2024.
The Campaign Legal Center lodged a complaint with the Federal Election Commission urging regulators to investigate what it calls Santos' "mountain of lies" regarding his life story and qualifications. He initially claimed that he loaned more than $750k from family businesses into his campaign funds - money which did not add up according to statements filed with the U.S House clerk last year.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy dodged questions relating both disgraced Republicans George Santos after news broke Tuesday reporting an indictment on criminal charges against him - though specifics remain unknown due them being under seal. McCarthy, however, did not give definitive answers and instead pointed to the examples of Senator Bob Menendez and Rep Jeff Fortenberry.
If found guilty, Santos might be required to resign from his position in the House. The Justice Department's ongoing investigation into his campaign finances adds further fuel to an already turbulent political career.