George Santos: US Representative not seeking re-election after ethics investigation

House committee finds 'overwhelming evidence' of Republican's misconduct

George Santos has been accused of breaking the law. AP

US Representative George Santos announced on Thursday that he would not seek re-election next year after a House committee found he “blatantly stole from his campaign”.

The report released by the House Ethics Committee found “overwhelming evidence” of the congressman's misconduct and voted to refer him to the Justice Department.

Among other allegations, the committee said Mr Santos deceived donors, used campaign funds for himself and failed to correct financial statements.

The report also found that “despite his attempts to blame others for much of the misconduct, Representative Santos was a knowing and active participant in the wrongdoing”.

“Particularly troubling was Representative Santos’s lack of candour during the investigation itself,” the committee said.

Mr Santos called the report a “disgusting politicised smear” in a tweet shortly after its release, but said that he would not seek re-election in 2024.

Following the report's release, the Republican chairman of the House ethics committee called for Mr Santos's expulsion from Congress.

Mr Santos survived a previous expulsion attempt as all Republicans and a small group of Democrats opted to wait for the ethics committee to finish its investigation.

Updated: November 17, 2023, 7:05 AM