Exclusion rejected
Despite allegations of fraud: Scandal MP Santos remains in the US House of Representatives for the time being
George Santos is said to have cheated and lied in 23 cases
© Mandel Ngan / AFP
He is accused of 23 counts – and still remains a member of the US House of Representatives. A vote against George Santos, who is accused of fraud and money laundering, failed.
Scandal-plagued Republican congressman George Santos, who admitted to falsifying his resume, will temporarily resign his seat Retain US House of Representatives. An exclusion of Santos was rejected in a vote on Wednesday (local time) with 179 yes and 213 no votes. The Republican pleaded not guilty last week. Santos is charged with fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives.
George Santos: fraud, misrepresentation, theft of public funds
The Republicans currently have a razor-thin majority of four seats in the 435-seat House of Representatives. Losing a representative would have made it even more difficult for Republicans and their new leader, Mike Johnson, to pass legislation. Several MPs, including Santos’ Republican colleagues from the US state of New York, had previously distanced themselves from him because of the allegations.
Santos was first elected to the House of Representatives in Washington in last year’s midterm elections. As a result, there were ever new revelations about the politician’s sometimes outrageous false statements about, among other things, his university education, his career path, his family and his religion.
Lies also affect his family
Santos faked a degree from an elite university and falsely claimed to have worked for the investment bank Goldman Sachs and the banking group Citigroup. He also falsely claimed that his mother survived the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and also falsely identified himself as Jewish.
The MP has admitted to many of the lies and said he had “embellished” his CV. Several investigations are now underway against the politician with Brazilian roots, in Congress, in New York and in Brazil.