Representative George Santos, a Republican from Latest York, arrives for a vote on the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., has been criminally charged by the Department of Justice, NBC News reported Tuesday, citing sources conversant in the matter.
The character of the federal charges against the freshman congressman, who has admitted to lying about his background, was not immediately known. One source told NBC that Santos could give up in court in Long Island, Latest York, as early as Wednesday.
Santos’ lawyer and spokesperson didn’t immediately reply to CNBC’s requests for comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Latest York declined to comment.
News of the costs got here just weeks after Santos announced his 2024 reelection campaign.
Santos has been under scrutiny for several scandals which have defined his temporary time in Congress.
Before being sworn into office, Santos admitted that he had “embellished” his education credentials and his work experience. He denied committing any crimes. But he’s reportedly under multiple investigations as authorities at quite a few levels of presidency probe his campaign funds and other topics.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a fellow GOP freshman from Latest York, gave NBC a one-word response to the reported charges against Santos: “Resign.”
Lawler is the most recent Republican to call for Santos’ resignation. But Santos has thus far rebuffed his critics, saying only the voters of his district should resolve whether he stays in Congress or not. Some polls have found that voters in Santos’ district view him overwhelmingly unfavorably across party lines.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who has a really tight majority and might’t afford to lose greater than a handful of votes, has not joined his colleagues’ calls for Santos to step down.
Asked about Santos’ legal trouble Tuesday, McCarthy said, “I’ll have a look at the costs.”
A House ethics panel in March appointed a subcommittee to analyze potential illegal activity by Santos’ congressional campaign. The subcommittee can also be looking into an allegation of sexual harassment made earlier this yr by Derek Myers, a journalist who says Santos groped him in his office while the 2 men were alone going through constituent mail. Santos has denied the allegation.
CNN first reported the costs earlier Tuesday afternoon.
