Rep. George Santos (R-NY) told House Republicans on Tuesday he will step down from his committee assignments, according to multiple reports.
Santos told his Republican colleagues that he planned to recuse himself from serving on House committees during a closed-door meeting, GOP aides told CBS News. He had been assigned to the House Small Business Committee and the Science and Technology Committee earlier this month.
His decision to step away comes a day after Santos met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Capitol Hill amid rising calls for the freshman congressman to resign over a slew of lies told about his personal life and professional experience, as well as questions over his campaign spending.
The embattled lawmaker is now facing multiple investigations and complaints. Brazilian prosecutors are attempting to renew criminal charges against Santos relating to his alleged use of a stolen checkbook, while questions surrounding his campaign spending and financial disclosures have generated complaints in the U.S. to the Federal Election Commission and House Ethics Committee.
Since taking the oath of office on Jan. 7, reports have emerged that have piled more pressure on Santos. A report last Friday suggested that over a dozen of the major donors to his unsuccessful 2020 congressional campaign don’t appear to exist, while a Daily Beast story earlier in the week revealed that a $500,000 loan he gave to his campaign didn’t come from his personal funds despite previously claiming it had.
Some of his other recent hits have also included telling a Brazilian podcast that he was the victim of an assassination attempt; initially denying that he had dressed in drag under the name Kitara Ravache before later admitting that it was him; and apparently attempting to hide his Spotify account, for some reason.
The sheer variety of the alleged falsehoods peddled by Santos has even led to his own Republican colleagues telling him to resign. But Santos has so far remained steadfast in his refusal to step down. Earlier this month, he tweeted that he was elected to serve his district, not his party or other politicians.
“I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living,” he added. “I will NOT resign!”
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