Former New York Republican Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in a vote by the House of Representatives, has announced that he will file ethics complaints against several of his former colleagues. In a series of social media posts, Santos stated that he would be filing complaints against four members of the House - Nicole Malliotakis, Mike Lawler, Nick LaLota, and Rob Menendez - over alleged campaign finance violations, stock trading habits, and other ethics violations.
Santos, who has been indicted on multiple charges including wire fraud and identity theft, has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. He has been accused of using campaign funds on luxury goods and treatments such as botox. Santos specifically targeted Malliotakis, questioning her stock trading activities since joining the Ways and Means committee. He accused her of engaging in insider trading and questioned the source of her trading information.
In response to Santos' threat, Malliotakis' spokesperson dismissed him as a "scorned and known serial liar." Santos also accused Lawler of money laundering by funneling campaign funds through a company he owns a stake in. He raised concerns about LaLota's attendance at his local board of elections position during his time in law school, suggesting that he may have stolen public funds. Santos also questioned Menendez's relationship with his father, Senator Bob Menendez, who has been federally charged for allegedly participating in a bribery scheme, and raised concerns about what Menendez may have known about his father's crimes.
The four lawmakers targeted by Santos have not responded to his comments. Santos' expulsion from Congress marks the first time a House lawmaker has been expelled in over 20 years. Expelling a member of Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote.
In his social media posts, Santos also indicated his support for expelling another House member, Representative Jamaal Bowman, and called on a Republican colleague to reintroduce the motion to expel him.
themes: War New York (state)
