WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee has informed the Department of Justice that it will not defer its investigation into Rep. George Santos even though the New York Republican is facing a federal indictment, a source familiar with the discussions told NBC News.
The Ethics Committee has a long history of stepping aside when the Justice Department picks up a probe into a member of Congress, as it did recently with an investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. (DOJ ended that probe this year without charging Gaetz).
Punchbowl News first reported that the committee had declined to defer its Santos investigation.
May 18, 202302:18
The House Ethics Committee announced in early March that it had opened an investigation into whether Santos “engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office.”
The investigation was given a new focus this week after Democrats tried to force a vote to expel Santos from the chamber, following his indictment. On Wednesday, House Republicans voted to refer the expulsion resolution to the Ethics Committee, putting the onus on the panel to recommend if the entire body should vote to remove him from office.
Two-thirds of the members of the House would need to vote to expel Santos to unseat him.
Santos was arrested and charged in federal court last week on 13 counts including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the House. He has pleaded not guilty.
The Department of Justice declined to comment, as did a spokesperson from the House Ethics Committee.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
