Rep. Santos has tarnished the institution of Congress and should resign, ReFormers Caucus co-chairs say following ethics report release

Today, the House Committee on Ethics released its final report following an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing by Rep. George Santos (R-NY). The report uncovered substantial evidence of illegal activity committed by Santos, alleging that he “knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC; and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure (FD) Statements filed with the House.”

In response, Issue One released the following statement from Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN) and Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), two former members of Congress and co-chairs of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus:

“As today’s damning report found, Santos knowingly committed serious crimes and can no longer be trusted to represent his constituents or uphold the duties of his office. Congressman Santos has an opportunity to resign from Congress. He should take it.

“While Santos will have his day in court, and should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, his continued presence in the House of Representatives will be an unnecessary distraction for the country and the people who elected him.

“Serving in Congress is an honor, and requires the highest ethical standards. Santos has tarnished the institution of Congress by his unethical behavior and actions, and he should step down.

“We commend the House Committee on Ethics for conducting a thorough investigation into the serious allegations against Santos. Restoring trust in Congress requires demonstrating that its institutions, like the Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Ethics, are capable of conducting impartial oversight of its members, as they have done today.”

Background:

Earlier this year, nearly 40 members of the ReFormers Caucus called on the Ethics Committee to open a formal investigation into the allegations against Rep. Santos. Two days later, the Ethics Committee began its investigation.