OCE Referral Regarding Rep. George Santos
OCE Referral Regarding Rep. George Santos Exhibits 1 of 8
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On May 1st, 2023, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Rep. George Santos.
Nature of the Review
Rep. Santos may have omitted or misrepresented required information in his candidate financial disclosure statements or Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) candidate committee reports. If Rep. Santos failed to disclose or misrepresented required information in his candidate financial disclosure statements or FEC candidate committee filings, then he may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.
Rep. Santos’s congressional campaign committee, Devolder-Santos for Congress (the “campaign committee”), reported expenditures that may not have been made for bona fide campaign or political purposes. If Rep. Santos converted campaign committee funds to personal use, then he may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.
Rep. Santos’s campaign committee may have accepted excessive contributions in the form of personal loans and contributions that may not have been Rep. Santos’s personal funds. If Rep. Santos’s campaign committee accepted personal loans and contributions that exceeded campaign contribution limits, then Rep. Santos may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.
On February 3, 2023, a prospective congressional aide accused Rep. Santos of sexual harassment. If Rep. Santos sexually harassed or discriminated against the complainant, or engaged in an effort to intimidate, take reprisal against, or otherwise discriminate against the complainant for opposing such treatment, then he may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.
OCE Recommendation
The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegation concerning Rep. Santos because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Santos may have omitted or misrepresented required information in his candidate financial disclosure statements or FEC candidate committee reports.
The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegation concerning Rep. Santos because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Santos’s congressional campaign committee reported expenditures that may not have been made for bona fide campaign or political purposes.
The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegation concerning Rep. Santos because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Santos’s campaign committee may have accepted excessive contributions in the form of personal loans and contributions that may not have been Rep. Santos’s personal funds.
The Board recommended that the Committee dismiss the above allegation concerning Rep. Santos because there is not substantial reason to believe that Rep. Santos sexually harassed or discriminated against the complainant, or engaged in an effort to intimidate, take reprisal against, or otherwise discriminate against the complainant for opposing such treatment.
Committee Action
On March 2, 2023, the Committee on Ethics announced it had established an Investigative Subcommittee (ISC) on February 28, 2023, to conduct an inquiry into whether Representative George Santos may have:
- 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.
On June 22, 2023, the Committee on Ethics released a statement announcing it had expanded the jurisdiction of the ISC’s inquiry to align with the May 9, 2023 Department of Justice indictment against George Santos and that it is in communication with the Department of Justice to mitigate the potential risks of dual investigations while still meeting the Committee’s obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.
On October 31, 2023, the Committee on Ethics released a statement announcing that its next course of action on this matter would be announced on or before November 17, 2023.
On November 16, 2023, the Committee on Ethics released a statement announcing that the Committee unanimously voted to refer the substantial evidence of potential violations of federal criminal law to the Department of Justice for such further action as it deems appropriate. The Committee on Ethics also released the Committee Report in the Matter of Allegations Relating to Representative George Santos which included the ISC Report and the OCE Report to the Committee on Ethics referring the matter for further review.