Rep. Nick LaLota (R-New York) is demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) put a hold on the campaign accounts of fellow New York Republican Rep. George Santos as the investigation into the new lawmaker’s false claims both before and during his successful campaign for the House of Representatives last year continues to intensify.
LaLota’s statement, which he posted on Twitter on Sunday, reads as follows: “To the extent that there is actually any real money in the campaign account of Congressman George Santos, the funds should be immediately frozen by the United States Department of Justice or the Federal Election Commission.” LaLota made this statement in response to a question about whether or not there is actually any money in the account at all. I’ll take the lead if those federal agencies need more authority to perform their duties.
Because of his dishonesty, LaLota and six other Republicans in the House have demanded that Santos resign from his position. The previous month, LaLota also ordered that the House Ethics Committee open an investigation into Santos’s activities.
LaLota said that Congressman Santos should not be allowed to deplete his campaign account while multiple authorities investigate the fraud that induced these contributions. “Congressman Santos fraudulently solicited these funds,” LaLota said. “Santos shouldn’t be allowed to drain his campaign account.”
“After Congressman Santos receives the proper Due Process — such as a House Ethics investigation or criminal proceedings or both — the funds should be returned to the contributors he duped,” he added. “After Congressman Santos receives the proper Due Process, such as a House Ethics investigation, criminal proceedings, or both.” The Department of Justice or the Federal Election Commission must take immediate action in order to guarantee that the victims of Santos’ financial scheme will receive some form of compensation.
Since it was discovered through press reporting that Santos had faked significant portions of his CV and biography, he has been the subject of increased scrutiny over the course of the previous month. During an interview that took place the previous month with The New York Post, he revealed that he had lied about his experiences, including his degree and previous employment.
Since then, Santos has been subject to intense public scrutiny regarding his finances. According to the most recent disclosure form that he provided, in 2022, he donated $700,000 to his own campaign that allegedly originated from the $750,000 that originated from his company, the Devolder Organization. But only two years earlier, when he made his first unsuccessful attempt for Congress, he claimed having no assets despite having a salary of $55,000.
According to reports from CNN and CBS News from the previous month, the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York was investigating Santos’s finances and the financial disclosure statements he had made. A nonpartisan ethics watchdog called the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the FEC last week, urging the agency to investigate Santos for allegedly breaching campaign finance regulations. The Campaign Legal Center submitted the complaint.
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