US Republican lawmaker George Santos says Congress full of ‘felons’

By Islam Dogru

NEW YORK (AA) – Embattled New York Congressman George Santos has accused other members of Congress of being “felons.”

"Within the ranks of the United States Congress, there’s felons galore, there’s people with all sorts of sheisty backgrounds," Santos said in a roughly three-hour conversation recently broadcast on X.

He was responding to questions about a recent House Ethics Committee report against him.

“I have colleagues who are more worried about getting drunk every night with the next lobbyists that they're going to screw and pretend like none of us know what's going on and sell off the American people,” he said.

Earlier this month, the House Ethics Committee released a report on a month-long investigation into Santos that said there is “substantial evidence” he “violated federal criminal laws."

"At the completion of its investigation, the ISC (Investigative Subcommittee) unanimously concluded that there was substantial evidence that Representative George Santos knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission," it said in a statement.

It accused the New York Republican freshman Congressman of using campaign funds for "personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC; and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure (FD) Statements filed with the House."

Santos wrote on X shortly after the report was released that he would "remain steadfast" in fighting for his rights and defending his name in the "face of adversity."

"I am humbled yet again and reminded that I am human and I have flaws, but I will not stand by as I am stoned by those who have flaws themselves," he said.

"I will continue on my mission to serve my constituents up until I am allowed. I will however NOT be seeking re-election for a second term in 2024 as my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time," he added.

Santos, 35, who lied about his background during his 2022 election campaign, faces seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives, according to an indictment unsealed in May.