Ethics committee determines George Santos engaged in blatant campaign theft

According to a congressional panel, Representative George Santos from New York has been accused of stealing from his campaign and using his House candidacy for personal financial gain. The House ethics committee has referred Santos to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution. Santos, who is a Republican, has faced several allegations of lying since his election last year, although he denies any wrongdoing. The ethics committee has decided not to initiate disciplinary action itself as it may delay accountability for his actions and interfere with ongoing criminal prosecution. However, the committee did state that Santos' behavior deserves public condemnation and has brought disrepute to the House. Santos was recently indicted on fraud charges. The ethics committee, comprising equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, has found that Santos reported fake loans to his political committees to encourage donors to make further contributions, and then diverted campaign funds for personal use as repayments. The committee also accused Santos of obtaining additional funds through fraudulent or questionable business dealings facilitated by his connections to high-value donors and political campaigns. Santos narrowly avoided expulsion from the House earlier this month, as only five members have ever been expelled in US history, three of which occurred during the civil war.