House ethics committee opens inquiry into Rep. George Santos

The House ethics committee said Thursday that it has opened an investigation into Rep. George Santos, the Long Island Republican who fabricated much of his resume on the campaign trail last year.

The 10-member, bipartisan committee said it voted unanimously to launch the probe on Tuesday, seven weeks after two Democratic New York congressmen filed a complaint against Santos with the panel.

The committee said that it would examine whether Santos broke the law during his campaign or in connection with a financial services firm, failed to properly disclose information to Congress, or engaged in sexual misconduct with a job applicant.

The committee said in a statement that its move to create an investigative subcommittee “does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.”

In a January letter to the House ethics committee, Reps. Ritchie Torres and Dan Goldman, two New York Democrats, said Santos’ financial disclosure reports were “sparse and perplexing” and called for the panel to conduct a “full investigation.”

Derek Myers, a journalist, said last month that he had filed a complaint with the House ethics committee accusing Santos of sexually harassing him. Myers claimed Santos touched his groin on Jan. 25, two days after Myers accepted a job working for the congressman. Myers’ job offer was rescinded on Feb. 1, Myers said.

On Thursday, Santos’ office said in a statement that it was “fully cooperating” with the House ethics probe. “There will be no further comment made at this time,” said the statement.

As a candidate, Santos, 34, fashioned a fictional résumé for himself, misleading voters about his education, religion, family history, professional experience and property ownership.

Multiple U.S. prosecutors’ offices have launched investigations into Santos. And a prosecutor’s office in Brazil said in January that it was reviving a long-dormant criminal case against him.