Republican Rep. George Santos of New York told GOP colleagues 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.
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Rep. Tom Cole, R-Olka., said the decision was well-received from the GOP conference, saying “I think it was the appropriate thing to do and I was proud of him for getting up and doing this.”
McCarthy met with Santos on Monday night, but did not disclose their conversation.
“You’ll see,” McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol.
Santos, meanwhile, said he would issue a statement later in the day. Asked whether he was considering resigning, Santos replied, “No, I am not.”
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Republicans described the decision by Santos to temporarily step down from the two House panels as voluntary. Rep. Roger Williams, the chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, said he was surprised.
“The bottom line is that he’s chosen to be off committees until his situation gets handled at a level that he’s comfortable with,” Williams said.
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