He said he wanted to focus on serving his constituents “without distraction.”
By KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON Republican Rep. George Santos of New York announced Tuesday he is temporarily stepping down from his two congressional committees, a move that comes amid a host of ethics issues and a day after he met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Santos has faced numerous calls for his resignation and is facing multiple investigations by prosecutors over his personal and campaign finances and lies about his resume and family background.
Santos was assigned to two fairly low-profile panels, the House Committee on Small Business and to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Still, his arrival has left GOP leadership frequently answering questions about the congressman rather than about their priorities for the coming months.
In a prepared statement, Santos said he wanted to focus on serving his constituents “without distraction.”
“I want to personally thank Speaker McCarthy for meeting with me to discuss the matter and allowing me to take time to properly clear my name before returning to my committees,” Santos said. “To my constituents, I remain committed to serving the district, and delivering results for both New York’s Third Congressional District and for the American people.”
Before issuing the statement, Santos addressed Republican lawmakers in a weekly closed-door meeting they have when in Washington. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said the decision was well-received from the GOP conference. “I think it was the appropriate thing to do and I was proud of him for getting up and doing this,” Cole said.
McCarthy met with Santos on Monday night but did not disclose their conversation.
“You’ll see,” McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol.
The questions surrounding Santos go beyond his misrepresentations to voters to include whether his congressional campaign followed the law in its reporting to the Federal Election Commission.
