You asked: What’s going on with George Santos?
George Santos #GeorgeSantos
Camila DeChalus is a congressional reporter. Join our live chats to ask a journalist a question. (Washington Post illustration)
Any updates to the George Santos situation? Is he still allowed to vote on legislation? Isn’t he being reviewed by ethics committee?
— Asked April 18 in our election live chat
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is currently a sitting member of Congress and is able to vote on legislation. On May 9, federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against Santos, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The freshman Republican lawmaker has been under intense scrutiny earlier this year after reports surfaced of Santos fabricating several things about his personal and professional life.
In March, the House Ethics Committee announced that they would conduct an investigation into Santos to investigate allegations that the congressman may have potentially violated campaign finance laws. Following the announcement, a spokesperson for the Republican lawmaker wrote on the congressman’s verified Twitter account that Santos was “fully cooperating” in the investigation.
Then in April, Santos announced that he was going to run for reelection despite being under an ethics investigation. Since he has been in office, several lawmakers have called on him to resign, and Santos has often avoided answering questions from the press.
A few months ago I went to his district and asked voters who originally voted for him if they would again in light of the new reports about how he fabricated several parts of his résumé. Several Republican voters said they wouldn’t vote for him again.