In the United States, Republican George Santos was expelled from Congress

The palace of lies that Jorge Santos had built over the years collapsed on him on Friday 1^any December. The Republican-elect from New York entered US political history in disgraceful fashion, becoming the sixth member of Congress to be expelled by his peers. A two-thirds vote was needed in the House of Representatives to approve a punishment as rare as it was dramatic. In an unusual bipartisan move, 206 Democrats and 105 Republicans decided to maintain the kind of basic level of decency required to represent the American people. The Trumpist far right came to Jorge Santos’ aid.

The previous two attempts, in May and October, had failed, while revelations about embezzlement and lies by New York’s elected official had multiplied in the press since the beginning of the term. George Santos lied about his supposed Jewish origins, educational degrees, and fake professional experiences at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. He hid his criminal record in Brazil. But the legendary maniac was also a trickster.

That’s the main lesson from the House Ethics Committee’s critical report, published two weeks ago. This 56-page text, which relies particularly on bank documents, text messages and emails, serves as an informative complement to the parallel investigations being conducted by the judicial system, which has already indicted the elected official on these facts. reveal “a complex web of illegal activities” Linked to Jorge Santos’ campaign accounts.

Santos exploited ‘every aspect of his candidacy’

Spa treatments, Botox injections, luxury stores, restaurants, private trips: the New York elected official spent his time using campaign donations for his own pleasure and benefit. He also claimed that he gave his campaign team money, which never existed, to be repaid later. “Representative Santos proceeded to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his run for the House of Representatives for his own financial gain.”, Ethics Committee Summary. The elected official refused to cooperate, in writing or verbally, with the latter, which worsened his condition.

Far from the financial ease he had demonstrated for years, Jorge Santos was insolvent. It was all fabrications and illusions. Members of his campaign team even encouraged him, at the end of 2021, to abandon all public life, as his past and sulphurous activities were in danger of surfacing. He persisted, and was able to win after his second attempt. His false statements were then easily revealed to the audit authorities.

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