Santos vows to file ethics complaints against multiple lawmakers hours after expulsion from House
Fox News
Former New York Republican Rep. George Santos vowed to file a handful of ethics complaints next week against several of his former colleagues just hours after he was expelled from Congress in a vote by the House of Representatives.
In a series of social media posts Friday night, Santos said he would be filing ethics complaints Monday against four different members of the House — Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota R-N.Y., and Rob Menendez, D-N.J. — over alleged campaign finance violations and stock trading habits, among other alleged ethics violations.
Santos, expelled Friday by his House colleagues in a 311-114 vote, has not been convicted of a crime, but he has been indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, credit card fraud and other charges.
Santos has been accused of using campaign funds on a number of luxury goods and treatments such as botox. He has pleaded not guilty.
EMBATTLED GOP REP GEORGE SANTOS EXPELLED FROM HOUSE
As for the complaint against Malliotakis, Santos said it will prioritize “her questionable stock trading since joining the Ways and Means committee this Congress.”
“Let’s talk about hypocrisy. Can someone ask Nicole MalioStockTips when did she become a savant in stock trading?” Santos wondered in a post to X.
“The signature bank trades she did REEKS of insider trading much like Paul Pelosi’s every trade!” he added, referring to the husband of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
“Before joining the committee the congresswoman didn’t have an active trading habit or a high volume stake,” Santos continued in remarks about Malliotakis. “The question is, what set of information is she trading with?”
The complaint against Lawler, according to Santos, deals with the congressman “engaging in laundering money” by funneling campaign funds through a company he owns stake in.
“The concerning questions are; is Mr Lawler engaging in laundering money from his campaign to his firm then into his own pocket?” Santos wrote in one post. “I will let the Office of Congressional Ethics be the judge of that.”
As for LaLota, Santos questioned whether the Empire State lawmaker was a “no-show” at his local board of elections position during his tenure in law school.
“Did Rep Lalota no-show to his tax pay funded job while going to school and if so he can potential have stolen public funds form the tax payers of NY,” Santos wrote in another post. “I will let the Office of Congressional Ethics determine the validity of this grave allegation raised in his local media.”
Will Kiley, a LoLota spokesperson, told The Hill that Santos “is just mad the congressman has three actual degrees, while he lied about one.”
Santos also called into question Rob Menendez’s relationship with his father, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who has been federally charged for allegedly participating in a bribery scheme. Santos specifically raised concerns over what Menendez may have known about his father’s crimes, asking “what did he know and when did he know it.”
“I think it’s a fair point to make sure we weed out the doubt surrounding Rep Menendez and his business associations with his father,” Santos added.
In a statement to The Hill, Menendez spokesman Michael Zhadanovsky dismissed Santos’ threat.
“George Santos is neither Rep. Menendez’s colleague nor a constituent, so we will not expend any energy responding to his Botox-fueled fits of rage,” said Zhadanovsky.
Aside from those he’s seeking to file ethics complaints against, Santos also signaled he’s looking forward to seeing “who will be the Republican that will have the testicular fortitude to pick up my privileged motion to expel Bowman and reintroduce it!”
Fox News did not receive an immediate response from the four lawmakers’ offices about Santos’ comments.
The House’s vote against Santos made him the first House lawmaker to be expelled in more than 20 years. Expelling a member of Congress takes a two-thirds majority vote. The last time a House lawmaker was expelled was more than two decades ago, when late former Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, was voted out of Congress in 2002.
Santos said he expected to be expelled from Congress during a Friday morning interview on “FOX & Friends.”
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.