Global Courant
The House Ethics Committee has issued more than 30 subpoenas for its investigation of Rep. George Santos, RN.Y., revealed the committee leadership in an update.
Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., and Distinguished Member Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., announced Thursday that the committee will expand its investigation to include allegations that the embattled congressman fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits. The new route of inquiry came in response to a 13-count federal indictment filed against Santos in May, including seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.
Santos pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained his innocence, even as some of his house colleagues have demanded that Santos be removed from Congress.
The broad ethics review was initiated in February to determine whether Santos “engaged in unlawful activity related to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on depositions filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws related to his role in a company that provides fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct against a person seeking employment in its congressional office.”
COURT DISCOVERS NAMES OF GEORGE SANTOS’ BONDS
Rep. George Santos, RN.Y., is seen before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol on Thursday, June 22, 2023. A House Ethics panel investigation is investigating allegations Santos illegally invested campaign money in its own sacked and defrauded the federal government’s COVID-19 unemployment insurance program, among other things. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The joint statement from Guest and Wild said investigators will also consider whether Santos fraudulently obtained more than $24,000 in unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“On May 9, 2023, Representative Santos was indicted on federal charges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Most of the charges in the indictment were already within the jurisdiction of the (Investigative Subcommittee) ISC,” they wrote. .
“In accordance with House Rule XI, Section 3(b)(9) and Committee Rule 18(e), the Committee voted to extend the jurisdiction of the ISC investigation to include counts IX-XI of the indictment, allegations that Representative Santos fraudulently received unemployment benefits,” the statement said.
Federal prosecutors allege that in June 2020, Santos falsely claimed he had been unemployed since March of that year and received benefits until April 2021. According to the indictment, Santos received a salary of $120,000 during that time as a regional director at a Florida-based investment firm .
GEORGE SANTOS BECOMES treasurer of his own campaign after indictment
Rep. George Santos, RN.Y., speaks to reporters outside after an attempt to have him removed from the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
He also allegedly pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and laundered it into his personal bank accounts so he could pay off his debt and buy designer clothes.
Since its inception in February, the Ethics Panel ISC has issued more than 30 subpoenas and more than 40 voluntary requests for information related to the Santos investigation. “The ISC is actively working to resolve this matter in a timely manner,” said Guest and Wild.
Their joint statement noted that ethics researchers are working closely with the Justice Department “to mitigate potential risks while still complying with the commission’s obligations to protect the integrity of the House.”
“The Committee notes that the mere fact of an investigation into these allegations does not in itself indicate that an offense has occurred. No other public comment will be made on this matter, except in accordance with the Committee’s rules,” it said. the explanation.
REPUBLICANS BLOCK GEORGE SANTOS UNSCRIPTION, REFER CASE HOME ETHICS COMMITTEE
Rep. George Santos, RN.Y., faces a 13-count federal indictment, including charges of fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Santos was released from federal custody after posting $500,000 bail.
Santos’ father, Gercino dos Santos, and his aunt, Elma Preven, signed the unsealed bond on Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, according to the unsealed document, granting the provisional release of the Republican freshman congressman month as he awaits trial on federal charges of fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds.
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The bond signers were not required to pay the $500,000 upfront, but they would be financially harassed if Santos violated the terms of his release, which included surrendering his passport and being in New York City, Long Island or Washington, D.C. to stay.
Danielle Wallace, Greg Wehner, Marta Dhanis and Fox News’ Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a writer for Fox News Digital. Send tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
