Ousted U.S. Rep. Jorge Santos allegedly spent campaign funds on casino trips
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was ousted from his seat in Congress in a bipartisan vote of 311-114 on Friday. In the final tally, 105 Republicans voted to remove the scandal-plagued congressional freshman from his seat in the House.
The 35-year-old congressman's firing marked the first time Congress has voted to expel a representative since U.S. Rep. James Trafficante (D-Ohio) was impeached in 2002 for prohibited conduct. Santos is the third congressman since the civil war to be forced out by his fellow lawmakers.
Santos' exit comes after the House Ethics Committee released an explosive report detailing "substantial evidence" supporting federal prosecutors' charges against Santos, including identity theft, the use of campaign funds for personal use, charges to people's credit cards, donors Authorizing and filing reports alleging false campaign activity.
These allegedly false campaign reports include allegations that Santos used political funds to provide himself and her husband with lavish trips to Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
The Office of Congressional Ethics (OEC) identified several possible expenditures of campaign funds for personal use. The OEC said a bill of nearly $2,300 at an unidentified casino in Atlantic City during a one-day stay on July 23 and 24, 2022, is cause for concern.
Charges Include Las Vegas Casino Tour
The ethics investigation found that Santos did not host or participate in any political or campaign events in Atlantic City or anywhere nearby during this period. One of Santos' associates told federal investigators that the congressman told him "he liked to go to casinos and play roulette, often with his husband."
The investigation also revealed that Santos may have used campaign funds for personal expenses on a December 2021 trip to Las Vegas with her husband. Colleagues told investigators that Santos told them at the time that he was going to Las Vegas for his honeymoon and had no corresponding campaign events on his calendar.
The OCE report also uncovered numerous charges and ATM withdrawals to bank accounts and credit cards associated with Santos’ “Santos for Congress” political movement. This includes a withdrawal of $113.37 on December 4, 2021 at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The transaction was not reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which enforces campaign finance laws.
On July 24, 2022, Santos allegedly withdrew $1,084.99 from an ATM at Harrah’s Resort & Casino in Atlantic City. The next day, he withdrew another $659.99 from an ATM at a Caesars hotel in Atlantic City. Neither transaction was reported to the FEC.
"Overwhelming Evidence"
Santos' brief tenure in Congress was marked by controversy and scandal. When he took office in January, reports emerged that the New Yorker had misrepresented many aspects of his life during the 2022 campaign, including lies about his family's Jewish heritage and that his grandparents were Holocaust refugees.
Santos also faced criticism for claiming he graduated at the top of his class from Baruch College, even though he never graduated from Manhattan College. Santos claimed to be "an experienced Wall Street financier and investor" who had previously worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, but neither firm had a record of his employment.
Santos also claimed to have been the victim of a hate crime, although he never reported such an incident to police. Santos also claims to have successfully battled a brain tumor and has provided many hours of community service to children born with the rare genetic skin disease epidermolysis bullosa. However, a Vice News investigation failed to find any affiliated charities willing to confirm Santos' involvement or support.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), chairman of the House Ethics Committee, said no one wants to forcefully remove a lawmaker, but given Santos' alleged lies and corruption, "the evidence is overwhelming." Santos faces 23 counts in a federal indictment. He pleads not guilty.
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Source: www.casino.org
