(Washington) Republican elected official George Santos, who has distinguished himself by his repeated lies and is accused of financial crimes, denounced Thursday a “relentlessness” of members of the United States House of Representatives who seek to exclude him .
New York State elected official George Santos has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of defrauding his donors as well as money laundering and electronic fraud. But on the other hand, he admitted to having invented entire sections of his life, ranging from a university degree to professional experiences in large banks.
“If I leave, they win. If I leave, the bullies take my place. It’s relentlessness,” said George Santos during a press conference in front of the Capitol in Washington, seat of Congress.
“Each time for different reasons, they persist,” he lambasted, saying they were “fighting” to “defend” themselves and “dispel all accusations.”
On November 17, the chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Republican-majority House of Representatives, Michael Guest, filed a motion to exclude George Santos, deeming him “unworthy to serve as a member” of this institution.
Earlier this month, a previous motion to exclude was rejected because it did not garner the necessary two-thirds majority of votes from representatives present. But after the publication of a report from the House Ethics Commission accusing him of having “seriously discredited” the institution, many elected officials said they were ready to change their minds. The new vote should be held soon.
According to the commission, the elected official “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his candidacy for his personal financial gain” and “consistently lied to his voters, his donors and his team about his past and his experience”.
According to the report, the elected official used the money embezzled in the luxury store Ferragamo, in a casino, for cosmetic treatments with “Botox” and on the OnlyFans platform, on which users can share their sexual videos and photos.
George Santos reacted by describing this text as “political slander” while ensuring that he would not run for a new term in 2024.